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Effects of a Higher Replacement Rate on Unemployment Durations, Employment, and Earnings

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  • Beatrix Eugster

Abstract

This paper discusses the effects of a higher unemployment benefit replacement rate on unemployment durations, employment and earnings. A reform of the Swiss unemployment insurance in July 2003 increased the replacement rate by up to 5.88 ppt for individuals who earned between 3,536 and 4,340 CHF and have no children, while it did not change the replacement rate for all other unemployed persons. This allows to study the effects of a higher replacement rate adopting a difference-in-differences (DiD) approach. The change in the replacement rate increased unemployment durations by 3.1 % – or roughly one week – for the treatment group. Women tend to react stronger than men. There is no effect of the level of the replacement rate on employment probabilities or earnings after the unemployment spell is finished.

Suggested Citation

  • Beatrix Eugster, 2015. "Effects of a Higher Replacement Rate on Unemployment Durations, Employment, and Earnings," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 151(I), pages 3-25, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:ses:arsjes:2015-i-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Lalive, Rafael & Cottier, Lionel & Flueckiger, Yves & Kempeneers, Pierre, 2018. "Does Job Search Assistance Really Raise Employment?," CEPR Discussion Papers 13133, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Beatrix Eugster & Rafael Lalive & Andreas Steinhauer & Josef Zweimüller, 2017. "Culture, Work Attitudes, and Job Search: Evidence from the Swiss Language Border," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 15(5), pages 1056-1100.
    3. Kakoulidou, Theoni & Doolan, Michael & Roantree, Barra, 2022. "Earnings-related benefits in Ireland: Rationale, costs and work incentives," Papers BP2023/2, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    unemployment durations; unemployment insurance; replacement rate; post-unemployment outcomes;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search

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