The Effects of Unemployment Insurance on Low-Income Families

This grant is co-funded with the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.

The primary purpose of unemployment insurance (UI) programs is to help beneficiaries maintain their standard of living over employment-related income shocks. However, little is known about whether UI prevents extreme material hardship. Doctoral student in economics Ethan Jenkins will investigate the effect of UI on extreme outcomes such as eviction, homelessness, and criminal involvement. He will analyze New York City and state administrative data and credit data for his study.