Seek and Ye Shall Find: How Search Requirements Affect Job Finding Rates of Older Workers

28 Pages Posted: 18 May 2013

See all articles by Patrick Hullegie

Patrick Hullegie

VU University Amsterdam; VU University Amsterdam - Department of Economics

Jan C. van Ours

Tilburg University - Department of Economics; University of Melbourne - Department of Economics

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Abstract

Unemployment insurance recipients in the Netherlands were for a long time exempted from the requirement to actively search for a job when they reached the age of 57.5. We study how this exemption affected the job finding rates of the recipients involved. We find evidence that the job finding rate of unemployed workers who were getting close to the age of 57.5 is reduced in anticipation of the removal of the search requirement. In addition we find a large negative effect on job finding rates of the actual removal of the search requirement. Apparently, even for persons with seemingly poor job prospects search requirements have a positive effect on finding rates.

Keywords: eligibility criteria, unemployment benefits, job finding, older workers

JEL Classification: C41, H55, J64, J65

Suggested Citation

Hullegie, Patrick and Hullegie, Patrick and van Ours, Jan C., Seek and Ye Shall Find: How Search Requirements Affect Job Finding Rates of Older Workers. IZA Discussion Paper No. 7400, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2266827 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2266827

Patrick Hullegie (Contact Author)

VU University Amsterdam

De Boelelaan 1105
Amsterdam, ND North Holland 1081 HV
Netherlands

VU University Amsterdam - Department of Economics ( email )

De Boelelaan 1105
1081 HV Amsterdam
Netherlands

Jan C. Van Ours

Tilburg University - Department of Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 90153
Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands
+31 13 466 2880 (Phone)
+31 13 466 3042 (Fax)

University of Melbourne - Department of Economics ( email )

Melbourne, 3010
Australia

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
35
Abstract Views
476
PlumX Metrics