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Optimal Unemployment Benefits in the Presence of Informal Labor Markets

Author

Listed:
  • Martin Gonzalez-Rozada

  • Hernan Ruffo

Abstract

We assess optimal unemployment benefit level and duration in a labor market with many informal jobs. Using administrative data from Argentina, a country with high informality, we exploit discontinuities in duration, and a reform that increases benefits. We find that increasing benefits hardly extends unemployment spells but raises re-employment wages. In contrast, extending unemployment benefits prolongs unemployment spells with no effect on re-employment wages. In a search model, we derive sufficient statistics to analyze the welfare effects of a reform that increases benefits by shortening duration. Calibrating our formula using our empirical results, we find that welfare would increase with higher benefits and shorter duration

Suggested Citation

  • Martin Gonzalez-Rozada & Hernan Ruffo, 2016. "Optimal Unemployment Benefits in the Presence of Informal Labor Markets," Department of Economics Working Papers 2016_03, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.
    • Handle: RePEc:udt:wpecon:2016_03
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    Cited by:

    1. Vargas Juliana Mesén & Linden Bruno Van der, 2019. "Why Cash Transfer Programs Can Both Stimulate and Slow Down Job Finding," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 8(1), pages 1-27, June.
    2. Mesén Vargas, Juliana & Van der Linden, Bruno, 2017. "Is There Always a Trade-off between Insurance and Incentives? The Case of Unemployment with Subsistence Constraints," IZA Discussion Papers 11034, IZA Network @ LISER.
    3. Antonia Asenjo & Verónica Escudero & Hannah Liepmann, 2024. "Why Should we Integrate Income and Employment Support? A Conceptual and Empirical Investigation," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 60(1), pages 1-29, January.
    4. Hang Thu Nguyen-Phung & Miki Kohara & Secil Er, 2024. "The impact of ICT development on female employment and household’s well-being in Vietnam," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 75(4), pages 951-978, December.
    5. Adriana D. Kugler, 2019. "Impacts of Labor Market Institutions and Demographic Factors on Labor Markets in Latin America," IMF Working Papers 2019/155, International Monetary Fund.
    6. Ndiaye, Abdoulaye & Herkenhoff, Kyle & Cissé, Abdoulaye & Dell’Acqua, Alessandro & Mbaye, Ahmadou A., 2025. "How to fund unemployment insurance with informality and false claims: Evidence from Senegal," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    7. Liepmann, Hannah & Pignatti, Clemente, 2024. "Welfare effects of unemployment benefits when informality is high," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    8. Martín González-Rozada & Hernán Ruffo, 2026. "The Welfare Effects of Unemployment Insurance in Argentina: New Estimates Using Changes in the Schedule of Transfers," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 61(1), pages 240-273.
    9. Finamor, Lucas, 2024. "Labor Market Informality, Risk, and Insurance," MPRA Paper 121662, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Joaquín Herrera & Martin González-Rozada & Hernan Ruffo, 2025. "The Fiscal Costs of Unemployment Insurance," Department of Economics Working Papers 2025_09, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.
    11. Scholl, Almuth, 2024. "The politics of redistribution and sovereign default," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C41 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Duration Analysis; Optimal Timing Strategies
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • 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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