Decline in Unemployment Insurance Claims Activity in the 1980's

摘要

During the early 1980s the proportion of unemployed workers receiving unemployment insurance (UI) benefits declined and remained low for the remainder of the decade. The reduced rates of benefit recipiency occurred in both the regular State UI programs (which typically can compensate workers for up to a maximum duration of 26 weeks) and in the Federal-State Extended Benefits program (which can compensate the long term unemployed for up to an additional 13 weeks). The report which analyzes the decline in UI benefit recipiency: presents some background facts about the decline; reviews previous literature that has examined this phenomenon; presents a descriptive analysis of new survey data collected expressly for the purpose of addressing the question; presents a statistical analysis of application rates and benefit recipiency rates based on the new data; and speculates on the reasons for the decline in benefit recipiency.