Unemployment Insurance and Reemployment among Older Workers

Authors

Christopher J. O'Leary, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment ResearchFollow
U.S. Dept. of Labor, Employment and Training Administration

Upjohn Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3372-7527

Publication Date

7-1-2006

Series

Employment and Training Administration Occasional Paper 2006-09

Abstract

This paper examines the adjustment to involuntary unemployment of older and prime age unemployment insurance (UI) claimants including patterns of reemployment, earnings, and employment stability following job loss. The paper compares the experience of older workers aged 50 years and over with prime age workers aged 30 to 49 following a claim for UI benefits during the major labor market contraction in 2001. The data examined includes records maintained for program administration. The data on UI claimants includes those eligible for UI, those ineligible for UI, and those who exhausted UI. The study examines differences across older and prime age age groups within each of the aforementioned subgroups as well as contrasting patterns of reemployment, earnings, and employment stability. The analysis exploits rich data on quarterly claimant earnings in the first 11 quarters following these various groups’ claim for UI benefits.

Publisher

U.S. Dept. of Labor, Employment and Training Administration

Issue Date

July 2006

Sponsorship

U.S. Dept. of Labor, Employment and Training Administration; Contract Number K-6558-8-00-80-60

Subject Areas

LABOR MARKET ISSUES; Retirement and pensions; UNEMPLOYMENT, DISABILITY, and INCOME SUPPORT PROGRAMS; Unemployment insurance