Determinants of Replacement Rates in Unemployment Compensation Which factors can be found to influence the generosity of unemployment benefits in OECD countries?

Labour markets and unemployment levels are much investigated topics in economics. A lot of academic research deals with the consequences of unemployment benefits on the labour market. Little research has given attention to the factors influencing the levels of unemployment benefits. In the nowadays context of rising levels of public debt, identifying the forces behind this significant cost driver for our welfare states is more relevant than ever. The aim of this book is to come further in investigating the economic forces determining unemployment insurance generosity. The core of the analysis consists in an empirical investigation covering 22 OECD countries between the years 1993 and 2007.