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Long term unemployment and violent crimes - using post-2000 data to reinvestigate the relationship between unemployment and crime

Author

Listed:
  • Almén, Daniel

    (Department of Economics, Lund University)

  • Nordin, Martin

    (Department of Economics, Lund University)

Abstract

This study reinvestigates the relationship between unemployment and crime. By being the first study to use long-term unemployment, it contributes unique findings. Moreover, with a Swedish panel consisting of 288 municipalities and annual data from 1997 to 2009, the relationship is investigated for the first time with aggregate post-2000 data. The results show that long-term unemployment exhibits a strong association with violent crimes in addition to property crimes, highlighting a potential gap in the conventional theories of economics of crime. The point-estimate of long-term unemployment for violent crimes is between 1.5 and 4, and for property crimes it is between 1.3 and 2.3. Thus, long-term unemployment identifies a marginal group for committing crimes, particularly violent crimes, better than total unemployment does. Long-term unemployment plausibly creates a feeling of alienation that fosters violent and other non-rational behaviors.

Suggested Citation

  • Almén, Daniel & Nordin, Martin, 2011. "Long term unemployment and violent crimes - using post-2000 data to reinvestigate the relationship between unemployment and crime," Working Papers 2011:34, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:lunewp:2011_034
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    File URL: http://project.nek.lu.se/publications/workpap/papers/WP11_34.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Crime, unemployment & peer effects
      by chris dillow in Stumbling and Mumbling on 2011-10-20 19:18:18

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    crime; unemployment; long-term unemployment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J20 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - General
    • K14 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Criminal Law
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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