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The Effects of Reducing the Entitlement Period to Unemployment Insurance Benefits

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  • De Groot, Nynke

    (Free University Amsterdam)

  • van der Klaauw, Bas

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

Abstract

This paper exploits a substantial reform of the Dutch UI law to study the effect of the entitlement period on job finding and subsequent labor market outcomes. Using detailed administrative data covering the full population we find that reducing the entitlement period increases the job finding rate, but decreases the job quality. Unemployed workers accept more often temporary jobs with lower wages and fewer working hours. Therefore, they also change jobs more frequently. The reform did not affect total post-unemployment earnings indicating that the positive effects on job finding and job turnover cancel out the negative effects on job quality. We also observe a spike in job finding around benefits exhaustion even, although more modest, for individuals who do not experience a drop in benefits level when moving to welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • De Groot, Nynke & van der Klaauw, Bas, 2014. "The Effects of Reducing the Entitlement Period to Unemployment Insurance Benefits," IZA Discussion Papers 8336, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8336
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    Cited by:

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    2. Rabaté, Simon & Tréguier, Julie, 2024. "Labour supply and survivor insurance in the Netherlands," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    3. Koning, Pierre & van Sonsbeek, Jan-Maarten, 2017. "Making disability work? The effects of financial incentives on partially disabled workers," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 202-215.
    4. Galecka-Burdziak, Ewa & Góra, Marek & Jessen, Jonas & Jessen, Robin & Kluve, Jochen, 2021. "The Effects of Shortening Potential Benefit Duration: Evidence from Regional Cut-Offs and a Policy Reform," IZA Discussion Papers 14340, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Anja Deelen & Marloes de Graaf-Zijl & Wiljan van den Berge, 2018. "Labour market effects of job displacement for prime-age and older workers," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 7(1), pages 1-30, December.
    6. Cockx, Bart & Declercq, Koen & Dejemeppe, Muriel & Inga, Leda & Van der Linden, Bruno, 2020. "Switching from an inclining to a zero-level unemployment benefit profile: Good for work incentives?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    7. Atav, Tilbe & Jongen, Egbert L. W. & Rabat, Simon, 2021. "Increasing the Effective Retirement Age: Key Factors and Interaction Effects," IZA Discussion Papers 14150, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Lichter, Andreas & Schiprowski, Amelie, 2021. "Benefit duration, job search behavior and re-employment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    9. Muller, Paul & van der Klaauw, Bas & Heyma, Arjan, 2017. "Comparing Econometric Methods to Empirically Evaluate Job-Search Assistance," Working Papers in Economics 691, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    10. Wiljan van den Berge, 2016. "How do severance pay and job search assistance jointly affect unemployment duration and job quality?," CPB Discussion Paper 334.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    11. Wiljan van den Berge, 2016. "How do severance pay and job search assistance jointly affect unemployment duration and job quality?," CPB Discussion Paper 334, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    12. Jessen, Jonas & Jessen, Robin & Galecka-Burdziak, Ewa & Góra, Marek & Kluve, Jochen, 2023. "The Micro and Macro Effects of Changes in the Potential Benefit Duration," IZA Discussion Papers 15978, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Nicola Pontarollo & Carolina Serpieri, 2021. "Challenges and Opportunities to Regional Renewal in the European Union," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 44(1), pages 142-169, January.
    14. Mari, Gabriele & Keizer, Renske & van Gaalen, Ruben, 2022. "The Timing of Parental Unemployment, Insurance, and Children's Education," SocArXiv 7rm6g, Center for Open Science.
    15. Paul Muller & Bas van der Klaauw & Arjan Heyma, 2020. "Comparing econometric methods to empirically evaluate activation programs for job seekers," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(5), pages 526-547, August.
    16. Anja Deelen & Marloes de Graaf-Zijl & Wiljan van den Berge, 2018. "Labour market effects of job displacement for prime-age and older workers," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 7(1), pages 1-30, December.
    17. Egbert Jongen & Simon Rabaté & Tilbe Atav, 2019. "The effects of the increase in the retirement age in the Netherlands," CPB Discussion Paper 408, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    18. Stephen Kastoryano & Bas van der Klaauw, 2022. "Dynamic evaluation of job search assistance," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(2), pages 227-241, March.
    19. Márton Csilalg & Ágota Scharle & Balázs Munkácsy, 2023. "Evaluating the effect of a drastic cut in unemployment benefit duration on re-employment and wages of jobseekers," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 2326, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    20. Egbert Jongen & Simon Rabaté & Tilbe Atav, 2019. "The effects of the increase in the retirement age in the Netherlands," CPB Discussion Paper 408.rdf, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    21. Rutten, Albert, 2023. "Essays on work and retirement," Other publications TiSEM 078adee5-770b-417b-b7c1-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    difference-in-differences; job quality; job finding; unemployment benefits entitlement; duration model;
    All these keywords.

    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
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • C41 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Duration Analysis; Optimal Timing Strategies

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