Unemployment Insurance in Survey and Administrative Data

Bibliographic Data

ID11680639
AuthorsJeff Larrimore (0000-0001-9715-3983, corresponding author), Jacob Mortenson, David Splinter (0000-0003-1852-8615)
EditorsStephanie Moulton (0000-0003-4102-0932)
Year2022
Volume42
Issue2
Pages571-579
Publication date2022-12-20
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Policy Analysis and Management (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0276-8739 • E-ISSN: 1520-6688
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/pam.22463
OpenAlexW4313450539
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited6

Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits were a central part of the social safety net during the COVID‐19 recession. UI benefits, however, are severely understated in surveys. Using administrative tax data, we find that over half of UI benefits were missed in major survey data, with a greater understatement among low‐income workers. As a result, 2020 official poverty rates were overstated by about 2 percentage points, and corrected poverty reached a six‐decade low. We provide data to correct underreporting in surveys and show that, compared to UI benefits, the UI exclusion tax expenditure was less targeted at low incomes

Business · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Demographic economics · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental health · Labour economics · Poverty · Recession · Safety net · Social insurance · Survey data collection · Unemployment · COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts · Employment and Welfare Studies · Medicine · Taxation and Compliance Studies

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