In right-wing conservative and libertarian ideology — and even among some centrist Blue Dog Democrats — there is a widely held belief that having a social safety net encourages people to be unproductive. And unemployment benefits, according to that school of thought, make people complacent about looking for work. But new analysis from the employment website Indeed suggests that cutting off unemployment benefits early does not make people find work any faster.
Indeed’s analysis comes at a time when many Republican-led states are opting out of enhanced unemployment benefits that came in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the recession that it caused.
Indeed’s analysis measures clicks on job posts. CNBC reporter Greg Iacurci quotes Ann Elizabeth Konkel, an economist for Indeed, as saying that “people in those states” — meaning GOP-led states — “are less likely to be searching than your average jobseeker right now.” Continue reading.