Publication: Unemployment Registration and Benefits in ECA Countries
Date
2011-04
ISSN
Published
2011-04
Author(s)
Kuddo, Arvo
Abstract
Public Employment Services (PES) in
several Europe and Central Asia (ECA) countries are severely
limited by underfunded labor market programs, understaffing,
and fragmented networks of employment offices. Cash benefits
and other entitlements like health insurance often act as
incentives to job seekers to register with PES. However,
such benefits can and often do encourage unemployment
registration by economically inactive individuals.
Registered unemployment exceeds survey based unemployment
rates in about half of ECA countries (mostly Central Europe
and Western Balkans). Registered unemployment is much lower
than survey-based unemployment in the Baltic States and
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries,
primarily due to low access to unemployment benefits and
active labor market programs (ALMPs). The numbers of
unemployment assistance beneficiaries vary significantly
across ECA. In 2009, for example, 85 percent of the
registered unemployed in Russia received benefits but, in
eight ECA countries, less than 10 percent of the registered
unemployed received such assistance.
Citation
“Kuddo, Arvo. 2011. Unemployment Registration and Benefits in ECA Countries. Europe and Central Asia Knowledge Brief; Volume No. 37. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/17f21877-9fda-54f0-9967-a318f6271ca4 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”