Abstract

The Belgian unemployment insurance is often blamed to discourage the labour supply due to the unemployment trap, generous length of the benefit entitlement and the passive nature of the benefits. One possible policy option to fight the disincentives of the benefit schemes, is the restriction of the (length of the) benefit entitlement. The impact of these ‘negative’ incentives on the re-entry behaviour is highly controversial, as well as in academic literature as in policy matters. This contribution evaluates the suspension measure article 80 in the unemployment insurance which imposes a time limit on benefits (through suspension) for the cohabiting long-term unemployed who are assumed no longer to be willing to work. We focus on the methodological background of the re search: the quasi-experimental survey design, the selection bias, the control group, the longitudinal perspective and the importance of these issues for the interpretation of data and results. The results indicate a fairly weak incentive effect of sanctions.

How to Cite:

De Lathouwer, L., Bogaerts, K. & Van den Bosch, K., (2005) “Was de schorsingsmaatregel artikel 80 een stimulans voor de herintrede van langdurig werkloze vrouwen?”, Tijdschrift voor Sociologie 26(1-2), 38–55. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/sociologos.86626