Harmonizing unemployment and sickness insurance: Why (not)?

Laura Larsson ()
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Laura Larsson: IFAU - Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation, Postal: P O Box 513, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden

No 2004:8, Working Paper Series from IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy

Abstract: The paper discusses harmonization of unemployment insurance (UI) and sickness insurance (SI). The focus is on the difference between the benefit ceilings in the two insurance systems that has been shown to affect the behavior among unemployed SI recipients. The four conclusions are: (i) It is difficult to argue that the design with different benefit ceilings of UI and SI would be optimal. (ii) During the study period 1998–2001, unemployed were overrepresented among SI recipients. (iii) Some of the overrepresentation is due to the different benefit ceilings. Thus, harmonization of the systems is motivated; (iv) In a complex system as the Swedish social insurance system, reducing moral hazard in one group probably also implies various indirect effects. When designing a reform, all insurances should be considered simultaneously.

Keywords: Government policies; moral hazard; sickness insurance; unemployment insurance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H51 H55 I18 J65 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 40 pages
Date: 2004-06-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-ias
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

Published in Swedish Economic Policy Review, 2004, pages 151-188.

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