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Full-Text Articles in Labor Economics

The Wagner-Peyser Act And U.S. Employment Service: 75 Years Of Matching Job Seekers And Employers, Christopher J. O'Leary, Randall W. Eberts Jun 2022

The Wagner-Peyser Act And U.S. Employment Service: 75 Years Of Matching Job Seekers And Employers, Christopher J. O'Leary, Randall W. Eberts

Presentations

No abstract provided.


Lessons From The American Federal-State Unemployment Insurance System For A European Unemployment Benefits System, Christopher J. O'Leary, Burt S. Barnow, Karolien Lenaerts Feb 2020

Lessons From The American Federal-State Unemployment Insurance System For A European Unemployment Benefits System, Christopher J. O'Leary, Burt S. Barnow, Karolien Lenaerts

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

The federal-state system of unemployment insurance (UI) in the United States was established by the Social Security Act of 1935 during the Great Depression. Under the program, states provide temporary partial wage replacement to involuntarily unemployed workers with significant labor force attachment. The federal government induced states to establish UI programs through two means: 1) a uniform federal tax imposed on employer payrolls, with a 90 percent reduction granted in states operating approved UI programs, and 2) grants to states to administer their programs. The system has evolved into a collection of separate state programs adapted to different regional, economic, …


A Comparative Analysis Of Unemployment Insurance Financing Methods, Wayne Vroman, Elaine Maag, Christopher J. O'Leary, Stephen A. Woodbury Dec 2017

A Comparative Analysis Of Unemployment Insurance Financing Methods, Wayne Vroman, Elaine Maag, Christopher J. O'Leary, Stephen A. Woodbury

External Papers and Reports

No abstract provided.


Demonstration And Evaluation Of The Short-Time Compensation Program In Iowa And Oregon: Final Report, Susan Houseman, Christopher J. O'Leary, Katharine G. Abraham, Frank Bennici, Susan Labin, Richard Sigman Sep 2017

Demonstration And Evaluation Of The Short-Time Compensation Program In Iowa And Oregon: Final Report, Susan Houseman, Christopher J. O'Leary, Katharine G. Abraham, Frank Bennici, Susan Labin, Richard Sigman

Christopher J. O'Leary

Short-time compensation (STC) is an optional program within some state unemployment insurance (UI) systems that allows employers experiencing a temporary reduction in business to lower the average hours of employees in lieu of laying them off. Employer use of the STC option has been low in states with STC programs. We conducted demonstrations in Iowa and Oregon to evaluate the effectiveness of several interventions designed to increase employer awareness and use of STC, including disseminating information about STC to specific employers (members of the “treatment” group) over a 12-month period. The main findings support the hypothesis that lack of awareness …


Demonstration And Evaluation Of The Short-Time Compensation Program In Iowa And Oregon: Final Report, Susan Houseman, Christopher J. O'Leary, Katharine G. Abraham, Frank Bennici, Susan Labin, Richard Sigman Aug 2017

Demonstration And Evaluation Of The Short-Time Compensation Program In Iowa And Oregon: Final Report, Susan Houseman, Christopher J. O'Leary, Katharine G. Abraham, Frank Bennici, Susan Labin, Richard Sigman

All Star

Short-time compensation (STC) is an optional program within some state unemployment insurance (UI) systems that allows employers experiencing a temporary reduction in business to lower the average hours of employees in lieu of laying them off. Employer use of the STC option has been low in states with STC programs. We conducted demonstrations in Iowa and Oregon to evaluate the effectiveness of several interventions designed to increase employer awareness and use of STC, including disseminating information about STC to specific employers (members of the “treatment” group) over a 12-month period. The main findings support the hypothesis that lack of awareness …


A Frontline Decision Support System For Georgia Career Centers, Randall W. Eberts, Christopher J. O'Leary Aug 2017

A Frontline Decision Support System For Georgia Career Centers, Randall W. Eberts, Christopher J. O'Leary

All Star

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 emphasizes the integration and coordination of employment services. Central to achieving this aim is the federal requirement that local areas receiving WIA funding must establish one-stop centers, where providers of various employment services within a local labor market are assembled in one location. A major challenge facing staff in these centers is the expected large volume of customers resulting from relaxed program eligibility rules. Nonetheless, resources for assessment and counseling are limited. To help frontline staff in one-stop centers quickly assess customer needs and properly target services, the U.S. Department of Labor has …


Demonstration And Evaluation Of The Short-Time Compensation Program In Iowa And Oregon: Final Report, Susan N. Houseman, Christopher J. O'Leary, Katharine G. Abraham, Frank Bennici, Susan Labin, Richard Sigman Jun 2017

Demonstration And Evaluation Of The Short-Time Compensation Program In Iowa And Oregon: Final Report, Susan N. Houseman, Christopher J. O'Leary, Katharine G. Abraham, Frank Bennici, Susan Labin, Richard Sigman

External Papers and Reports

Short-time compensation (STC) is an optional program within some state unemployment insurance (UI) systems that allows employers experiencing a temporary reduction in business to lower the average hours of employees in lieu of laying them off. Employer use of the STC option has been low in states with STC programs. We conducted demonstrations in Iowa and Oregon to evaluate the effectiveness of several interventions designed to increase employer awareness and use of STC, including disseminating information about STC to specific employers (members of the “treatment” group) over a 12-month period. The main findings support the hypothesis that lack of awareness …


Using Behavioral Insights To Improve Take-Up Of A Reemployment Program: Trial Design And Findings, Matthew Darling, Christopher J. O'Leary, Irma L. Perez-Johnson, Jaclyn Lefkowitz, Kenneth J. Kline, Ben Damerow, Randall W. Eberts, Samia Amin, Greg Chojnacki May 2017

Using Behavioral Insights To Improve Take-Up Of A Reemployment Program: Trial Design And Findings, Matthew Darling, Christopher J. O'Leary, Irma L. Perez-Johnson, Jaclyn Lefkowitz, Kenneth J. Kline, Ben Damerow, Randall W. Eberts, Samia Amin, Greg Chojnacki

External Papers and Reports

No abstract provided.


Lessons From The American Federal-State Unemployment Insurance System For A European Unemployment Benefits System, Christopher J. O'Leary, Burt S. Barnow Oct 2016

Lessons From The American Federal-State Unemployment Insurance System For A European Unemployment Benefits System, Christopher J. O'Leary, Burt S. Barnow

Christopher J. O'Leary

The federal-state system of unemployment insurance (UI) in the United States was established by the Social Security Act of 1935 during the Great Depression. Under the program, states provide temporary partial wage replacement to involuntarily unemployed workers with significant labor force attachment. The federal government induced states to establish UI programs through two means: 1) a uniform federal tax imposed on employer payrolls, with a 90 percent reduction granted in states operating approved UI programs, and 2) grants to states to administer their programs. The system has evolved into a collection of separate state programs adapted to different regional, economic, …


Putting Short-Time Compensation To Work: How Employers Can Avert Layoffs And Reduce Training Costs, David E. Balducchi, Stephen A. Wandner Oct 2016

Putting Short-Time Compensation To Work: How Employers Can Avert Layoffs And Reduce Training Costs, David E. Balducchi, Stephen A. Wandner

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.


Are State Unemployment Insurance Reserves Sufficient For The Next Recession?, Christopher J. O'Leary, Kenneth J. Kline Jun 2016

Are State Unemployment Insurance Reserves Sufficient For The Next Recession?, Christopher J. O'Leary, Kenneth J. Kline

Christopher J. O'Leary

Regular state unemployment insurance (UI) benefits are paid from state reserves held in unemployment trust fund accounts at the U.S. Treasury. Employers covered by the federal-state UI system make contributions to reserve accounts based on taxable wages. The federal government provides incentives for forward funding of benefits to support UI as an automatic macroeconomic stabilizer in the economy. However, the Great Recession exhausted UI reserves for the majority of states, and not all of them have yet replenished those reserves. Based on patterns observed over the past 40 years, in this paper we simulate the effects on state and systemwide …


Are State Unemployment Insurance Reserves Sufficient For The Next Recession?, Christopher J. O'Leary, Kenneth J. Kline Apr 2016

Are State Unemployment Insurance Reserves Sufficient For The Next Recession?, Christopher J. O'Leary, Kenneth J. Kline

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Regular state unemployment insurance (UI) benefits are paid from state reserves held in unemployment trust fund accounts at the U.S. Treasury. Employers covered by the federal-state UI system make contributions to reserve accounts based on taxable wages. The federal government provides incentives for forward funding of benefits to support UI as an automatic macroeconomic stabilizer in the economy. However, the Great Recession exhausted UI reserves for the majority of states, and not all of them have yet replenished those reserves. Based on patterns observed over the past 40 years, in this paper we simulate the effects on state and systemwide …


Optimal Social Assistance And Unemployment Insurance In A Life-Cycle Model Of Family Labor Supply And Savings, Peter Haan, Victoria Prowse Oct 2015

Optimal Social Assistance And Unemployment Insurance In A Life-Cycle Model Of Family Labor Supply And Savings, Peter Haan, Victoria Prowse

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

We analyze empirically the optimal design of social insurance and assistance programs when families obtain insurance by making labor supply choices for both spouses. For this purpose, we specify a structural life-cycle model of the labor supply and savings decisions of singles and married couples. Partial insurance against wage and employment shocks is provided by social programs, savings, and the labor supplies of all adult household members. The optimal policy mix focuses mainly on Social Assistance, which provides a permanent universal household income floor, with a minor role for temporary earnings-related Unemployment Insurance. Reflecting that married couples obtain intra-household insurance …


Use Of Unemployment Insurance And Public Employment Services After Leaving Welfare, Christopher J. O'Leary Sep 2015

Use Of Unemployment Insurance And Public Employment Services After Leaving Welfare, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

In this paper I examine the rates at which adults in households recently receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) become jobless, apply for and receive unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, and participate in publicly funded employment services. I also investigate the correlation of UI and employment services receipt with maintenance of self-sufficiency through return to work and independence from TANF. The analysis is based on person-level administrative program records from four of the nine largest states between 1997 and 2003. Evidence suggests that three-quarters of new TANF leavers experience joblessness within three years, and one-quarter of the newly jobless apply …


Use Of Unemployment Insurance And Public Employment Services After Leaving Welfare, Christopher J. O'Leary Sep 2015

Use Of Unemployment Insurance And Public Employment Services After Leaving Welfare, Christopher J. O'Leary

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

In this paper I examine the rates at which adults in households recently receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) become jobless, apply for and receive unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, and participate in publicly funded employment services. I also investigate the correlation of UI and employment services receipt with maintenance of self-sufficiency through return to work and independence from TANF. The analysis is based on person-level administrative program records from four of the nine largest states between 1997 and 2003. Evidence suggests that three-quarters of new TANF leavers experience joblessness within three years, and one-quarter of the newly jobless apply …


Profiling Unemployment Insurance Beneficiaries, Randall W. Eberts, Christopher J. O'Leary Feb 2015

Profiling Unemployment Insurance Beneficiaries, Randall W. Eberts, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Planning Guidelines For Active Labor Programs In Hungary, Christopher J. O'Leary Feb 2015

Planning Guidelines For Active Labor Programs In Hungary, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Cost-Effectiveness Of Targeted Reemployment Bonuses, Christopher J. O'Leary, Paul T. Decker, Stephen A. Wandner Feb 2015

Cost-Effectiveness Of Targeted Reemployment Bonuses, Christopher J. O'Leary, Paul T. Decker, Stephen A. Wandner

Christopher J. O'Leary

Targeting reemployment bonus offers to unemployment insurance (UI) claimants identified as most likely to exhaust benefits is estimated to reduce benefit payments. We show that targeting bonus offers with profiling models similar to those in state Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services systems can improve cost effectiveness. Since estimated average benefit payments do not steadily decline as the eligibility screen is gradually tightened, we find that narrow targeting is not optimal. The best candidate is a low bonus amount with a long qualification period, targeted to the half of profiled claimants most likely to exhaust their UI benefit entitlement.


The Adequacy Of Unemployment Insurance Benefits, Christopher J. O'Leary Feb 2015

The Adequacy Of Unemployment Insurance Benefits, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Interstate Differences In Employer Tax Costs And Worker Benefits Of Unemployment Insurance: A Micro-Simulation Approach, Timothy L. Hunt, Christopher J. O'Leary, Wei-Jang Huang Feb 2015

Interstate Differences In Employer Tax Costs And Worker Benefits Of Unemployment Insurance: A Micro-Simulation Approach, Timothy L. Hunt, Christopher J. O'Leary, Wei-Jang Huang

Christopher J. O'Leary

This study compares employer unemployment insurance (UI) tax costs and worker UI benefits across the 28 largest industrial states for 1988. The comparison is done using a detailed computerized micro-simulation model which computes the worker UI benefits and employer UI taxes for each state. Assumed characteristics of employers and employees are held constant across the states so that differences in UI costs and benefits among the states can be attributed entirely to differences in UI statutes. The principal findings of this study are: (1) the UI system can be modeled fruitfully at the firm level, (2) there are significant UI …


Unemployment Insurance Policy In New England: Background And Issues, Robert Tannenwald, Christopher J. O'Leary Feb 2015

Unemployment Insurance Policy In New England: Background And Issues, Robert Tannenwald, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

Most states have exhausted their unemployment insurance (UI) trust fund and borrowed from the federal government at least once during the past 35 years. Under such circumstances, states are required by law to raise UI taxes to replenish their trust funds and to pay off their debts to the federal government. Since higher UI taxes increase employer costs, replenishment forces states into a trade-off between economic competitiveness and trust fund adequacy. Competitive pressures have raised questions about prevailing standards of adequacy and the speed at which they should be attained. Consequently, several states are contemplating tax reductions despite low reserves. …


An Evaluation Of The Washington State Unemployment Insurance Earnings Deduction Experiment, Christopher J. O'Leary Feb 2015

An Evaluation Of The Washington State Unemployment Insurance Earnings Deduction Experiment, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Wytyczne Systemu Informacyjnego Zarzadzania (Siz) Dla Programow Rynku Pracy W Polsce, Christopher J. O'Leary, Andrew S. Targowski Feb 2015

Wytyczne Systemu Informacyjnego Zarzadzania (Siz) Dla Programow Rynku Pracy W Polsce, Christopher J. O'Leary, Andrew S. Targowski

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Reemployment And Earnings Recovery Among Older Unemployment Insurance Claimants, Christopher J. O'Leary, Randall W. Eberts Feb 2015

Reemployment And Earnings Recovery Among Older Unemployment Insurance Claimants, Christopher J. O'Leary, Randall W. Eberts

Christopher J. O'Leary

The rate of involuntary job loss among older workers has increased in recent years. Previous research has found that after job separation older workers take longer to get back in jobs, and experience bigger earnings declines than younger prime age workers. These studies were based on surveys targeted at older and dislocated workers, which rely on retrospective interviews of strategic samples from the general labor force. Previous studies have not explicitly accounted for the availability of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits between jobs. This paper compares the adjustment to involuntary unemployment of older and younger prime age UI claimants, using a …


Ui As A Safety Net For Former Tanf Recipients: Final Report, Christopher J. O'Leary, Kenneth J. Kline Feb 2015

Ui As A Safety Net For Former Tanf Recipients: Final Report, Christopher J. O'Leary, Kenneth J. Kline

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Bonus Impacts On Receipt Of Unemployment Insurance, Paul T. Decker, Christopher J. O'Leary, Stephen A. Woodbury Feb 2015

Bonus Impacts On Receipt Of Unemployment Insurance, Paul T. Decker, Christopher J. O'Leary, Stephen A. Woodbury

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Considerations For States Planning Personal Reemployment Accounts, Christopher J. O'Leary Feb 2015

Considerations For States Planning Personal Reemployment Accounts, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Active Labor Programs In Poland, Christopher J. O'Leary Feb 2015

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Active Labor Programs In Poland, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Vag Trust Fund Adequacy, Christopher J. O'Leary Feb 2015

Vag Trust Fund Adequacy, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Active Labor Programs In Hungary, Christopher J. O'Leary Feb 2015

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Active Labor Programs In Hungary, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.