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The Labor Market Effects of U.S. Reemployment Policy: Lessons from an Analysis of Four Programs during the Great Recession

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  • Peter Mueser

    (University of Missouri)

  • Marios Michaelides

    (University of Cyprus)

Abstract

We present experimental evidence on four U.S. reemployment programs targeting Unemployment Insurance (UI) recipients during the Great Recession. All programs reduced UI spells, produced UI savings that exceeded program costs, and increased employment rates. The services-referral program had the smallest effects, occurring because of voluntary participant exit from UI to avoid requirements. The two programs that reviewed participants’ UI eligibility produced higher effects because they induced voluntary exits and disqualified participants not engaged in active job search or for other reasons. The program requiring participation in both the eligibility review and job counseling services was the most effective, indicating that services improved participants’ job search efforts.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Mueser & Marios Michaelides, 2018. "The Labor Market Effects of U.S. Reemployment Policy: Lessons from an Analysis of Four Programs during the Great Recession," Working Papers 1805, Department of Economics, University of Missouri.
    • Handle: RePEc:umc:wpaper:1805
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    Cited by:

    1. Marios Michaelides & Peter R. Mueser & Jeffrey A. Smith, 2021. "Do Reemployment Programs For The Unemployed Work For Youth? Evidence From The Great Recession In The United States," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 59(1), pages 162-185, January.
    2. Sergio Cappellini, 2022. "Optimal Unemployment Insurance with Worker Profiling," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0294, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".
    3. Marios Michaelides & Peter Mueser & Jeffrey Smith, 2019. "Youth Unemployment and U.S. Job Search Assistance Policy during the Great Recession," University of Cyprus Working Papers in Economics 13-2019, University of Cyprus Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Great Recession; job counseling; reemployment assistance; active labor market policies; eligibility review; unemployment; Unemployment Insurance; program evaluation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J6 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers
    • H4 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods

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