Earnings-related Unemployment Security, Employment and Lifetime Income

Määttänen NikuValkonen Tarmo

Abstract

Earnings-related unemployment benefits weaken markedly the economic incentives for searching and accepting a job. This study estimates that the current Finnish unemployment insurance scheme lowers the number of employed by tens of thousands of persons. The scheme may also weaken the incentives of the firms to create new vacancies and thereby hinder the employment of all unemployed individuals. Moreover, a significant share of the benefits is paid to persons whose lifetime earnings are relatively high. Consequently, limiting the duration of the maximum benefit period is warranted. A cutback of the earnings-related benefits increases the lifetime income disparities somewhat, but notably less than a cutback of basic unemployment allowances.

Publication info

Series
ETLA Muistio - ETLA Brief 53
Date
21.12.2016
ISSN
2323-2463
Pages
7
Language
Finnish