Unemployment Compensation and Wages: Evidence from the German Hartz Reforms

Using the introduction of fixed unemployment assistance in Germany in 2005 as a unique natural experiment, we find strong evidence that decreased unemployment compensation has an adverse effect on wages. We use micro panel data to identify and estimate the effect of this structural break. In eastern...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Bibliographische Detailangaben
Link(s) zu Dokument(en):IHS Publikation
Hauptverfasser: Nagl, Wolfgang, Arent, Stefan
Format: Article in Academic Journal PeerReviewed
Veröffentlicht: 2013
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Using the introduction of fixed unemployment assistance in Germany in 2005 as a unique natural experiment, we find strong evidence that decreased unemployment compensation has an adverse effect on wages. We use micro panel data to identify and estimate the effect of this structural break. In eastern and western Germany, the relative effect is higher for women. In western Germany, the relative effect increases with skill level. In eastern Germany, there is no clear skill-specific pattern.