失业保险领取中的种族不平等

中文摘要

本文研究白人与黑人在失业保险（UI）待遇领取方面的差异。我们将包含个人工作经历和UI领取情况详细信息的数据与州级UI法规相结合。与白人相比，离职的黑人领取UI的可能性低30%，领取的待遇金额少46%。在很可能符合UI申领资格的个人中，这些差距的量级相近。统计分解表明，UI领取率差距的37%和UI待遇金额差距的65%，可由黑人劳动者失业前收入较低以及更倾向于居住在美国南部所解释。

Abstract

This paper studies differences in unemployment insurance (UI) benefit receipt among White and Black individuals. We combine data containing detailed information on individuals’ work history and UI receipt with state-level UI regulations. Black individuals who separate from a job are 30 % less likely to receive UI and receive 46 % fewer benefits than White individuals. These gaps are similar in magnitude among individuals who are likely eligible for UI. Statistical decompositions indicate that 37 % of the gap in UI receipt and 65 % of the gap in UI benefit amount are explained by Black workers’ lower pre-unemployment earnings and higher tendency to live in the South.