Equity in Unemployment Insurance Benefit Access
AEA Papers and Proceedings
vol. 112,
May 2022
(pp. 91-96)
Abstract
We investigate the uneven pattern of access to unemployment insurance (UI) by age, gender, race, and ethnicity across the United States. We present results from a descriptive analysis using publicly available data reported by states over time on rates of UI recipiency and characteristics of UI beneficiaries. Recipiency measures the proportion of all unemployed who are receiving UI benefits. We find suggestive evidence that UI recipiency shares are lower than unemployment shares for females, youth, and Blacks. We offer program reforms that could be adopted by all states and required by the federal government to improve UI recipiency rates.Citation
O'Leary, Christopher J., William E. Spriggs, and Stephen A. Wandner. 2022. "Equity in Unemployment Insurance Benefit Access." AEA Papers and Proceedings, 112: 91-96. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20221010Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- H75 State and Local Government: Health; Education; Welfare; Public Pensions
- J15 Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
- J16 Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
- J64 Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
- J65 Unemployment Insurance; Severance Pay; Plant Closings