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Survey Non-response and Unemployment Duration

Author

Listed:
  • Gerard J. van den Berg

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, IFAU-Uppsala, CEPR, IZA, and INSEE-CREST)

  • Maarten Lindeboom

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

  • Peter J. Dolton

    (University-upon-Tyne, and Center for Economic Policy, London School of Economics)

Abstract

Social surveys are often used to estimate unemployment duration distributions. Survey non-response may then cause a bias. We study this by using a data set that combines survey information of individual workers with administrative records of the same workers. The latter provide information on durations of unemployment and personal characteristics of all survey respondents and non-respondents. We develop a method to distinguish empirically between two explanations for a bias in results based on only survey data: selectivity due to related unobserved determinants of durations of unemployment and non-response and a causal effect of a job exit on non-response. The latter may occur even in fully homogeneous populations. The methodology exploits variation in the timing of the duration outcome relative to the survey moment. The results show evidence for both explanations. We discuss implications for standard methods to deal with non-response bias. This discussion paper has resulted in a publication in the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A . (2006, 169(3), 585-604.)

Suggested Citation

  • Gerard J. van den Berg & Maarten Lindeboom & Peter J. Dolton, 2004. "Survey Non-response and Unemployment Duration," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 04-094/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20040094
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Martin Söderström & Roope Uusitalo, 2010. "School Choice and Segregation: Evidence from an Admission Reform," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 112(1), pages 55-76, March.
    2. van den Berg, Gerard J & Lindeboom, Maarten & Dolton, Peter J, 2004. "Survey non-response and unemployment duration," Working Paper Series 2004:12, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    3. Gerard J. Van Den Berg & Maarten Lindeboom & Peter J. Dolton, 2006. "Survey non‐response and the duration of unemployment," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 169(3), pages 585-604, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    non-response bias; unemployment measurement; hazard rate; sample selection; event history;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J0 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General

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