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Recent Extensions of U.S. Unemployment Benefits: Search Responses in Alternative Labor Market States

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  • Valletta, Robert G.

    () (Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco)

Abstract

In response to the 2007-09 “Great Recession,” the maximum duration of U.S. unemployment benefits was increased from the normal level of 26 weeks to an unprecedented 99 weeks. I estimate the impact of these extensions on job search, comparing them with the more limited extensions associated with the milder 2001 recession. The analyses rely on monthly matched microdata from the Current Population Survey. I find that a 10-week extension of UI benefits raises unemployment duration by about 1.5 weeks, with little variation across the two episodes. This estimate lies in the middle-to-upper end of the range of past estimates.

Suggested Citation

  • Valletta, Robert G., 2014. "Recent Extensions of U.S. Unemployment Benefits: Search Responses in Alternative Labor Market States," IZA Discussion Papers 8247, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8247
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jeremy Schwartz, 2013. "Do temporary extensions to unemployment insurance benefits matter? The effects of the US standby extended benefit program," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(9), pages 1167-1183, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jesse Rothstein & Robert G. Valletta, 2017. "Scraping by: Income and Program Participation After the Loss of Extended Unemployment Benefits," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(4), pages 880-908, September.
    2. Andrew C. Johnston & Alexandre Mas, 2015. "Potential Unemployment Insurance Duration and Labor Supply: The Individual and Market-Level Response to a Benefit Cut," Working Papers 590, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Industrial Relations Section..

    More about this item

    Keywords

    unemployment benefits; job search;

    JEL classification:

    • 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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