[go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ntj/journl/v67y2014i1p253-268.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Financing Unemployment Insurance

Author

Listed:
  • Wayne Vroman
  • Stephen A. Woodbury
Abstract
Following the Great Recession, the unemployment insurance (UI) trust funds in most states became insolvent, requiring the states to borrow from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to finance benefit payments. This article describes the basics of UI financing and reviews the origins of the financial crisis facing the federal-state UI system. It then examines the main components of the UI payroll tax — the taxable wage base and the experience-rated payroll tax — and considers how these might be modified to avoid future widespread insolvency. We conclude with some speculative remarks on the future of UI financing.

Suggested Citation

  • Wayne Vroman & Stephen A. Woodbury, 2014. "Financing Unemployment Insurance," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 67(1), pages 253-268, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:67:y:2014:i:1:p:253-268
    DOI: 10.17310/ntj.2014.1.08
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.17310/ntj.2014.1.08
    Download Restriction: Access is restricted to subscribers and members of the National Tax Association.
    File URL: https://doi.org/10.17310/ntj.2014.1.08
    Download Restriction: Access is restricted to subscribers and members of the National Tax Association.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.17310/ntj.2014.1.08?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Topel, Robert H, 1984. "Experience Rating of Unemployment Insurance and the Incidence of Unemployment," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 27(1), pages 61-90, April.
    2. Card, David & Levine, Phillip B., 1994. "Unemployment insurance taxes and the cyclical and seasonal properties of unemployment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 1-29, January.
    3. Saul J. Blaustein, 1993. "Unemployment Insurance in the United States: The First Half Century," Books from Upjohn Press, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, number uius.
    4. Christopher J. O'Leary & Robert Tannenwald, 1997. "Unemployment insurance policy in New England: background and issues," New England Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, issue May, pages 3-22.
    5. Patricia M. Anderson & Bruce D. Meyer, 1993. "The Unemployment Insurance Payroll Tax and Interindustry and Interfirm Subsidies," NBER Chapters, in: Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 7, pages 111-144, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Deere, Donald R, 1991. "Unemployment Insurance and Employment," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 9(4), pages 307-324, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wei Cheng & Patrick Carlin & Joanna Carroll & Sumedha Gupta & Felipe Lozano Rojas & Laura Montenovo & Thuy D. Nguyen & Ian M. Schmutte & Olga Scrivner & Kosali I. Simon & Coady Wing & Bruce Weinberg, 2020. "Back to Business and (Re)employing Workers? Labor Market Activity During State COVID-19 Reopenings," NBER Working Papers 27419, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Mathias Dolls & Clemens Fuest & Dirk Neumann & Andreas Peichl, 2018. "An unemployment insurance scheme for the euro area? A comparison of different alternatives using microdata," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 25(1), pages 273-309, February.
    3. Fischer, Georg, 2017. "The US Unemployment Insurance, a Federal-State Partnership: Relevance for Reflections at the European Level," IZA Policy Papers 129, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Robert A. Moffitt & James P. Ziliak, 2020. "COVID‐19 and the US Safety Net," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(3), pages 515-548, September.
    5. Rainer Eppel & Thomas Horvath & Helmut Mahringer, 2018. "Das Aussetzen von Beschäftigungsverhältnissen als betriebliche Strategie zum Ausgleich von Schwankungen des Personalbedarfs. Ein Update," WIFO Monatsberichte (monthly reports), WIFO, vol. 91(11), pages 799-810, November.
    6. Christopher J. O'Leary & Kenneth J. Kline, 2020. "State Unemployment Insurance Reserves Are Not Adequate," Upjohn Working Papers 20-321, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    7. Nathaniel Hilger, 2017. "All Together Now: Leveraging Firms to Increase Worker Productivity Growth," NBER Working Papers 23905, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Tracy Gordon & Lucy Dadayan & Kim Rueben, 2020. "State and Local Government Finances in the COVID-19 Era," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 73(3), pages 733-758, September.
    9. Christopher J. O'Leary & Stephen A. Wandner, 2020. "An Illustrated Case for Unemployment Insurance Reform," Upjohn Working Papers 19-317, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    10. Christopher J. O’Leary & Burt S. Barnow & Karolien Lenaerts, 2020. "Lessons from the American federal‐state unemployment insurance system for a European unemployment benefits system," International Social Security Review, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 73(1), pages 3-34, January.
    11. Christopher J. O'Leary & Kenneth J. Kline, 2016. "Are State Unemployment Insurance Reserves Sufficient for the Next Recession?," Upjohn Working Papers 16-257, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    12. Stephen A. Woodbury & Murray Rubin, 1997. "The Duration of Benefits," Book chapters authored by Upjohn Institute researchers, in: Christopher J. O'Leary & Stephen A. Wandner (ed.), Unemployment Insurance in the United States: Analysis of Policy Issues, chapter 6, pages 211-283, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    13. Marta Lachowska & Wayne Vroman & Stephen A. Woodbury, 2020. "Experience Rating and the Dynamics of Financing Unemployment Insurance," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 73(3), pages 673-698, September.
    14. Predelus, Wilner & Amine, Samir, 2020. "How employment insurance recipients make decision about insolvency?," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(4), pages 344-348.
    15. Edwards Kathryn Anne, 2020. "Who helps the unemployed? Workers’ receipt of public and private transfers," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 9(1), pages 1-26, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Katherine Baicker & Claudia Goldin & Lawrence F. Katz, 1998. "A Distinctive System: Origins and Impact of U.S. Unemployment Compensation," NBER Chapters, in: The Defining Moment: The Great Depression and the American Economy in the Twentieth Century, pages 227-264, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Bruno Coquet, 2017. "La tarification des contrats courts : objectifs et instruments," SciencePo Working papers Main hal-03455326, HAL.
    3. Katherine Baicker & Marit M. Rehavi, 2004. "Policy Watch: Trade Adjustment Assistance," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 18(2), pages 239-255, Spring.
    4. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/4an256spl398tp1fg14l76bsi5 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. José María Arranz & Carlos García Serrano, 2015. "Los sistemas de prestaciones por desempleo de “experience rating”. Un análisis de los despidos temporales y los subsidios cruzados en España," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 212(1), pages 129-168, March.
    6. Stephen Woodbury, 2013. "Unemployment Insurance," Upjohn Working Papers 14-208, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    7. Christopher J. O'Leary & Robert A. Straits, 2004. "Intergovernmental Relations in Employment Policy: The United States Experience," Book chapters authored by Upjohn Institute researchers, in: Alain Noel (ed.),Federalism and Labour market Policy: Comparing Different Governance and Employment Strategies, pages 25-82, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    8. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/4an256spl398tp1fg14l76bsi5 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Guo, Audrey & Johnston, Andrew C., 2020. "The Finance of Unemployment Compensation and its Consequence for the Labor Market," IZA Discussion Papers 13330, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Bruce D. Meyer & Dan T. Rosenbaum, "undated". "Repeat Use of Unemployment Insurance," IPR working papers 95-24, Institute for Policy Resarch at Northwestern University.
    11. Albertini, Julien & Fairise, Xavier & Terriau, Anthony, 2023. "Unemployment insurance, recalls, and experience rating," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    12. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/2oi450ns2095rq83rilpo67bhb is not listed on IDEAS
    13. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/2oi450ns2095rq83rilpo67bhb is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Olivier Charlot & Franck Malherbet, 2010. "Réforme de la protection de l'emploi et inégalités face au chômage dans un modèle d'appariement," Recherches économiques de Louvain, De Boeck Université, vol. 76(1), pages 57-112.
    15. Lepage-Saucier, Nicolas, 2016. "The consumption response to temporary layoffs and hours losses," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 177-193.
    16. Christopher J. O'Leary & Stephen A. Wandner, 1997. "Summing Up: Achievements, Problems, and Prospects," Book chapters authored by Upjohn Institute researchers, in: Christopher J. O'Leary & Stephen A. Wandner (ed.), Unemployment Insurance in the United States: Analysis of Policy Issues, chapter 15, pages 669-722, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    17. Bruno Coquet & Eric Heyer, 2018. "Pour une régulation économique des contrats courts sans contraindre les entreprises, en préservant l'assurance," Working Papers hal-03404222, HAL.
    18. Nathaniel Hilger, 2017. "All Together Now: Leveraging Firms to Increase Worker Productivity Growth," NBER Working Papers 23905, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Patricia M. Anderson & Bruce D. Meyer, "undated". "The Incidence of a Firm-Varying Payroll Tax: The Case of Unemployment Insurance," IPR working papers 95-23, Institute for Policy Resarch at Northwestern University.
    20. Hakola, Tuulia & Uusitalo, Roope, 2005. "Not so voluntary retirement decisions? Evidence from a pension reform," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(11-12), pages 2121-2136, December.
    21. Milan Vodopivec, 2004. "Income Support for the Unemployed : Issues and Options," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 14922.
    22. Walter Nicholson & Karen Needels, 2006. "Unemployment Insurance: Strengthening the Relationship between Theory and Policy," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 20(3), pages 47-70, Summer.
    23. Katharine G. Abraham & Susan N. Houseman, 2014. "Short-Time Compensation as a Tool to Mitigate Job Loss? Evidence on the U.S. Experience During the Recent Recession," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(4), pages 543-567, October.
    24. Walter Nicholson & Karen Needels, "undated". "Optimal Extended Unemployment Benefits," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 3362c47819f246f7a3b20dd00, Mathematica Policy Research.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • J65 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment Insurance; Severance Pay; Plant Closings

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:67:y:2014:i:1:p:253-268. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: The University of Chicago Press (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.ntanet.org/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.