Title:The Effect of Unemployment Insurance Extensions on Population Mental Health: Evidence from the Great Recession

Speaker:XiaohuiGuo

Abstract:This study contributes to a small but growing literature on the health effects of unemployment insurance (UI) by examining the impact of benefit extensions during the Great Recession on population mental health. Using data from the 2003-2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System as well as cross-state and time-series variation in UI policies, we estimate that a one standard deviation increase in UI generosity is associated with a 6.4 percent improvement in self-reported mental health among the unemployed. We also provide evidence for the validity of our research design through an event study model and supplementary regressions that incorporate county or county-by time fixed effects. However, we find no definitive evidence that UI affects general/physical health, health insurance, access to care, or health behaviors.

Xiaohui Guois an Assistant Professor at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE). He received his undergraduate degree from the University of International Business and Economics and his PhD in economics from Lehigh University in 2017. His research areas are health economics, applied microeconometrics, and industrial organization. He is a CFA Charter holder, FRM, and a SAS Advanced Programmer. His research has been published in Health Economics, American Journal of Health Economics, Economic Modelling, Journal of Wine Economics, Applied Economics, Energy, Journal of Energy, the American Medical Informatics Association, Energy & Environment, etc. He is the chair of one youth project of the National Science Foundation of China, and participates in one major and one general project of the National Social Science Foundation of China.

Date:Thursday, May 19, 2022

Time:12:30-1:50pm.

Tencent meeting ID:343-5500-0633