Unemployment benefit reforms to support employment and inclusiveness in the United
States
Impacts of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
This paper analyses the impact of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) extensions
on jobseeker households in selected US states and examines how these extensions compare
to the pre-pandemic policies. The analysis finds that PUA extensions increase benefit
duration for all jobseekers, but due to interactions between other government benefits,
this translates to significant increases in benefit generosity only for jobseekers
without children. This has an impact on the financial incentives to take up employment,
although incentives are still above the OECD average. PUA extensions have little impact
for people who have been unemployed for a very long time, and jobseekers with no recent
contribution history. PUA extensions also have minimal impact on jobless families
with children who continue to receive less support compared to other OECD countries.
Available from July 25, 2023
In series:OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papersview more titles