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Unemployment benefits and unemployment

Author

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  • Robert A. Moffitt

    (Johns Hopkins University, USA, and IZA, Germany)

Abstract

All developed economies have unemployment benefit programs to protect workers against major income losses during spells of unemployment. By enabling unemployed workers to meet basic consumption needs, the programs protect workers from having to sell their assets or accept jobs below their qualifications. The programs also help stabilize the economy during recessions. If benefits are too generous, however, the programs can lengthen unemployment and raise the unemployment rate. The policy challenge is to protect workers while minimizing undesirable side effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert A. Moffitt, 2014. "Unemployment benefits and unemployment," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 1-13, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izawol:journl:y:2014:n:13
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    9. Johannes F. Schmieder & Till von Wachter & Stefan Bender, 2012. "The Effects of Extended Unemployment Insurance Over the Business Cycle: Evidence from Regression Discontinuity Estimates Over 20 Years," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 127(2), pages 701-752.
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    15. Marta C. Lopes, 2022. "A review on the elasticity of unemployment duration to the potential duration of unemployment benefits," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(4), pages 1212-1224, September.
    16. Johannes F. Schmieder† & Till von Wachter & Stefan Bender, 2011. "The Effects Of Extended Unemployment Insurance Over The Business Cycle: Evidence From Regression Discontinuity Estimates Over Twenty Years," Boston University - Department of Economics - Working Papers Series WP2011-063, Boston University - Department of Economics.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Moffitt, Robert & Ziliak, James, 2020. "COVID-19 and the U.S. Social Safety Net," Economics Working Paper Archive 64317, The Johns Hopkins University,Department of Economics.
    2. Robert A. Moffitt & James P. Ziliak, 2020. "COVID‐19 and the US Safety Net," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(3), pages 515-548, September.
    3. World Bank & Coll-Black,Sarah & Von Lenthe,Cornelius Claus & Koettl-Brodmann,Stefanie, 2023. "Social Protection in a World of Crisis : Learning from the Response to the COVID-19 Pandemicin Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus," Social Protection Discussion Papers and Notes 183521, The World Bank.
    4. Groves, Jeremy & Wilcox, Virginia, 2023. "The impact of overweight and obesity on unemployment duration among young American workers," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    5. Rainer Eppel & Marian Fink & Helmut Mahringer, 2016. "Die Wirkung zentraler Interventionen des AMS im Prozess der Vermittlung von Arbeitslosen," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 59029.
    6. Rainer Eppel & Helmut Mahringer, 2019. "Getting a lot out of a little bit of work? The effects of marginal employment during unemployment," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 46(2), pages 381-408, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    unemployment benefits; unemployment; recessions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and 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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