Causes and Consequences of Incomplete Unemployment Insurance Take-Up

Grant description:

This research proposal seeks to answer three related questions regarding the barriers to accessing Unemployment Insurance benefits. First, what are the underlying causes of incomplete UI take-up for individual workers? Second, do the barriers to take-up disproportionately impact low-income, marginalized workers in a way that creates inequities in the UI program? Third, in what ways can outreach from workforce agencies boost UI take-up to better support workers and reduce inequities? To answer these questions, the author will utilize administrative data from the Washington State Employment Security Department. He will then field a survey of unemployed workers and combine findings with an analysis of administrative records. Together, this will inform the implementation of a field experiment, administered in partnership with the Employment Security Department, to explore how UI receipt can be increased, particularly for vulnerable populations.