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Is there always a Trade-off between Insurance and Incentives? The Case of Unemployment with Subsistence Constraints

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  • Juliana Mesén Vargas
  • Bruno Van der Linden

Abstract

This article analyzes the behavioral effects of unemployment benefits (UB) and it characterizes their optimal level when jobless people, who can carry out a subsistence activity, only survive if they have access to a minimum consumption level. Our model shows that if the level of UB is low enough, increasing its level or providing liquidity to the agent can decrease the duration in unemployment. Extensive numerical simulations indicate that the relationship between the level of the benefits and the probability of finding a formal job is frequently inverse U-shaped. We show that rewriting the insurance gain of the Baily-Chetty formula in terms of sufficient statistics requires specific modeling assumptions. The optimal replacement rate is generally higher than when subsistence is ignored.

Suggested Citation

  • Juliana Mesén Vargas & Bruno Van der Linden, 2018. "Is there always a Trade-off between Insurance and Incentives? The Case of Unemployment with Subsistence Constraints," CESifo Working Paper Series 7044, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_7044
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    liquidity effect; scarcity; monetary costs; optimal insurance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • H21 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Efficiency; Optimal Taxation
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • J65 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment Insurance; Severance Pay; Plant Closings

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