Long-term unemployment subsidies and middle-age disadvantaged workers’ health

José Ignacio Garcia-Pérez, Manuel Serrano-Alarcón and Judit Vall Castello
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José Ignacio Garcia-Pérez: Universidad Pablo Olavide & FEDEA
Manuel Serrano-Alarcón: NOVA University of Lisbon & CRES-UPF

No 2020/16, Working Papers from Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB)

Abstract: We estimate the labour market and health effects of a long-term unemployment (LTU) subsidy targeted to middle aged disadvantaged workers. In order to do so, we exploit a Spanish reform introduced in July 2012 that increased the age eligibility threshold to receive the subsidy from 52 to 55. Using a within-cohort identification strategy, we show that men ineligible for the subsidy were more likely to leave the labour force. In terms of health outcomes, although we do not report impacts on hospitalizations when considering the whole sample, we do find significant results when we separate the analysis by main diagnosis and gender. More specifically, we show a reduction by 12.9% in hospitalizations due to injuries as well as a drop by 2 percentage points in the probability of a mental health diagnosis for men who were eligible for the LTU subsidy. Our results highlight the role of long-term unemployment benefits as a protecting device for the health (both physical and mental) of middle aged, low educated men who are in a disadvantaged position in the labour market.

Keywords: Disadvantaged workers; unemployment subsidies; health effects (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I10 J65 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 48 pages
Date: 2020
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age, nep-eur and nep-lab
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Related works:
Journal Article: Long-term unemployment subsidies and middle-aged disadvantaged workers’ health (2024)
Working Paper: Long-term unemployment subsidies and middle-age disadvantaged workers’ health (2020)
Working Paper: Long-term unemployment subsidies and middle-age disadvantaged workers’ health (2020)
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