Estimating Incentive and Welfare Effects of Non-Stationary Unemployment Benefits

Andrey Launov () and Klaus Wälde

No 1007, Working Papers from Gutenberg School of Management and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz

Abstract: The distribution of unemployment duration in our equilibrium matching model with spell-dependent unemployment bene?ts displays a time-varying exit rate. Building on Semi-Markov processes, we translate these exit rates into an expres- sion for the aggregate unemployment rate. Structural estimation using a German micro-data set (SOEP) allows us to discuss the effects of a recent unemployment bene?t reform (Hartz IV). The reform reduced unemployment by only 0.3%. Contrary to general beliefs, we ?nd that both employed and unemployed workers gain (the latter from an intertemporal perspective). The reason is the rise in the net wage caused by more vacancies per unemployed worker.

Keywords: Non-stationary unemployment bene?ts; endogenous effort; matching model; structural estimation; Semi-Markov process (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C13 E24 J64 J68 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 45 pages
Date: 2010-05-21, Revised 2010-05-21
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dge, nep-lab and nep-mac
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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https://download.uni-mainz.de/RePEc/pdf/Discussion_Paper_1007.pdf First version, 2010 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Estimating Incentive and Welfare Effects of Non-Stationary Unemployment Benefits (2010)
Working Paper: Estimating Incentive and Welfare Effects of Non-Stationary Unemployment Benefits (2010)
Working Paper: Estimating Incentive and Welfare Effects of Non-stationary Unemployment Benefits (2010)
Working Paper: Estimating Incentive and Welfare Effects of Non-Stationary Unemployment Benefits (2010)
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