How does unemployment insurance protect the families of workers who lose their jobs?

By: Anna Sjögren, Lisa Laun, Hanna Mühlrad, and Jan Sauermann

This project examines how expanded access to unemployment insurance (UI) during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the economic and social well-being of Swedish families. By comparing families of job-losers who qualified for UI due to pandemic-era reforms to those who did not, the study explores how UI affects family income, reliance on means-tested benefits, household stability, and children’s outcomes – such as school performance and mental health. The project contributes to a broader research agenda on the role of the welfare state in mitigating the consequences of economic shocks.