Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Labor Economics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 22 of 22

Full-Text Articles in Labor Economics

Evaluating Public Employment Programs With Field Experiments: A Survey Of American Evidence, Christopher J. O'Leary Sep 2017

Evaluating Public Employment Programs With Field Experiments: A Survey Of American Evidence, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

Research in the 1970s based on observational data provided evidence consistent with predictions from economic theory that paying unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to involuntarily jobless workers prolongs unemployment. However, some scholars also reported estimates that the additional time spent in subsidized job search was productive. That is, UI receipt tended to raise reemployment wages after work search among the unemployed. A series of field experiments in the 1980s investigated positive incentives to overcome the work disincentive effects of UI. These were followed by experiments in the 1990s that evaluated the effects of restrictions on UI eligibility through stronger work search …


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 …


Evaluating Public Employment Programs With Field Experiments: A Survey Of American Evidence, Christopher J. O'Leary Sep 2017

Evaluating Public Employment Programs With Field Experiments: A Survey Of American Evidence, Christopher J. O'Leary

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Research in the 1970s based on observational data provided evidence consistent with predictions from economic theory that paying unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to involuntarily jobless workers prolongs unemployment. However, some scholars also reported estimates that the additional time spent in subsidized job search was productive. That is, UI receipt tended to raise reemployment wages after work search among the unemployed. A series of field experiments in the 1980s investigated positive incentives to overcome the work disincentive effects of UI. These were followed by experiments in the 1990s that evaluated the effects of restrictions on UI eligibility through stronger work search …


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 …


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 …


Proposal 12: Encouraging Work Sharing To Reduce Unemployment, Katharine Abraham, Susan Houseman Feb 2015

Proposal 12: Encouraging Work Sharing To Reduce Unemployment, Katharine Abraham, Susan Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Does Employment Protection Inhibit Labor Market Flexibility?: Lessons From Germany, France And Belgium, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman Feb 2015

Does Employment Protection Inhibit Labor Market Flexibility?: Lessons From Germany, France And Belgium, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

Laws in most West European countries give workers strong job rights, including the right to advance notice of layoff and the right to severance pay or other compensation if laid off. Many of these same countries also encourage hours adjustment in lieu of layoffs by providing prorated unemployment compensation to workers on reduced hours. This paper compares the adjustment of manufacturing employment and hours in West Germany, France and Belgium, three countries with strong job security regulations and well-established short-time compensation systems, with that in the United States. Although the adjustment of employment to changes in output is much slower …


Short-Time Compensation As A Tool To Mitigate Job Loss? Evidence On The U.S. Experience During The Recent Recession, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman Feb 2015

Short-Time Compensation As A Tool To Mitigate Job Loss? Evidence On The U.S. Experience During The Recent Recession, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

During the recent recession only 17 states offered short-time compensation (STC)—pro-rated unemployment benefits for workers whose hours are reduced for economic reasons. New federal legislation will encourage the expansion of STC. Exploiting cross-state variation in STC, we present new evidence indicating that jobs saved during the recession as a consequence of STC could have been significant in manufacturing, but that the overall scale of the STC program was generally too small to have substantially mitigated aggregate job losses in the 17 states. Expansion of the program is necessary for STC to be an effective counter-cyclical tool in the future.


Job Security In America: A Better Approach, Katharine Abraham, Susan Houseman Feb 2015

Job Security In America: A Better Approach, Katharine Abraham, Susan Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Short-Time Compensation Is A Missing Safety Net For U.S. Economy In Recessions, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman Feb 2015

Short-Time Compensation Is A Missing Safety Net For U.S. Economy In Recessions, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


External And Internal Labor Market Flexibility: An International Comparison, Susan Houseman Feb 2015

External And Internal Labor Market Flexibility: An International Comparison, Susan Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Does Employment Protection Inhibit Labor Market Flexibility? Lessons From Germany, France, And Belgium, Katharine Abraham, Susan Houseman Feb 2015

Does Employment Protection Inhibit Labor Market Flexibility? Lessons From Germany, France, And Belgium, Katharine Abraham, Susan Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Job Security V. Labor Market Flexibility: Is There A Tradeoff?, Susan N. Houseman Feb 2015

Job Security V. Labor Market Flexibility: Is There A Tradeoff?, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Short-Time Compensation As A Tool To Mitigate Job Loss? Evidence On The U.S. Experience During The Recent Recession, Katharine Abraham, Susan Houseman Feb 2015

Short-Time Compensation As A Tool To Mitigate Job Loss? Evidence On The U.S. Experience During The Recent Recession, Katharine Abraham, Susan Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Labor Market Adjustment In Europe, Japan, And The United States, Susan N. Houseman Feb 2015

Labor Market Adjustment In Europe, Japan, And The United States, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Short-Time Compensation As A Tool To Mitigate Job Loss? Evidence On The U.S. Experience During The Recent Recession, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman Aug 2013

Short-Time Compensation As A Tool To Mitigate Job Loss? Evidence On The U.S. Experience During The Recent Recession, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

During the recent recession only 17 states offered short-time compensation (STC)—pro-rated unemployment benefits for workers whose hours are reduced for economic reasons. New federal legislation will encourage the expansion of STC. Exploiting cross-state variation in STC, we present new evidence indicating that jobs saved during the recession as a consequence of STC could have been significant in manufacturing, but that the overall scale of the STC program was generally too small to have substantially mitigated aggregate job losses in the 17 states. Expansion of the program is necessary for STC to be an effective counter-cyclical tool in the future.


Reconnecting To Work: Policies To Mitigate Long-Term Unemployment And Its Consequences, Lauren D. Appelbaum Editor Jan 2012

Reconnecting To Work: Policies To Mitigate Long-Term Unemployment And Its Consequences, Lauren D. Appelbaum Editor

Upjohn Press

The goal of this book is to enable a better understanding of the consequences of long-term unemployment and the policies that are needed to address it. The contributors present research that examines the psychological as well as economic consequences of experiencing a prolonged spell of joblessness. Included are discussions of policies to increase job creation and to get the long-term unemployed back into jobs.


Short-Time Compensation Is A Missing Safety Net For U.S. Economy In Recessions, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman Jul 2009

Short-Time Compensation Is A Missing Safety Net For U.S. Economy In Recessions, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.


Job Security V. Labor Market Flexibility: Is There A Tradeoff?, Susan N. Houseman Apr 1994

Job Security V. Labor Market Flexibility: Is There A Tradeoff?, Susan N. Houseman

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.


Does Employment Protection Inhibit Labor Market Flexibility?: Lessons From Germany, France And Belgium, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman Mar 1993

Does Employment Protection Inhibit Labor Market Flexibility?: Lessons From Germany, France And Belgium, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Laws in most West European countries give workers strong job rights, including the right to advance notice of layoff and the right to severance pay or other compensation if laid off. Many of these same countries also encourage hours adjustment in lieu of layoffs by providing prorated unemployment compensation to workers on reduced hours. This paper compares the adjustment of manufacturing employment and hours in West Germany, France and Belgium, three countries with strong job security regulations and well-established short-time compensation systems, with that in the United States. Although the adjustment of employment to changes in output is much slower …


Work Sharing: Issues, Policy Options And Prospects, Fred Best Jan 1981

Work Sharing: Issues, Policy Options And Prospects, Fred Best

Upjohn Press

A broad overview of the work sharing concept, including 17 work sharing policy options and their policy potential for combating joblessness.


Work Sharing: Case Studies, Maureen E. Mccarthy, Gail S. Rosenberg, Gary Lefkowitz Jan 1981

Work Sharing: Case Studies, Maureen E. Mccarthy, Gail S. Rosenberg, Gary Lefkowitz

Upjohn Press

Offers practical assistance useful to employers who wish to implement reduced work hour arrangements.