This paper provides quasi-experimental estimates of the causal effect of long-term unemployment on wages. Using … standard job search theory, the paper derives and tests conditions on reemployment wages under which Unemployment Insurance (UI …) extensions can be used as instrumental variables (IV) for unemployment duration. Using a regression discontinuity design, the …

welfare. This insight leads to a novel test for the optimality of unemployment insurance based on the responsiveness of … reservation wages to unemployment benefits. Some existing estimates imply significant gains to raising the current level of … unemployment benefits in the United States, but highlight the need for more research on the determinants of reservation wages. Our …