Zitatform

Duggan, Mark, Audrey Guo & Andrew C. Johnston (2022): Would Broadening the UI Tax Base Help Low-Income Workers? (IZA discussion paper 15020), Bonn, 12 S.

Abstract

"The tax base for state unemployment insurance (UI) programs varies significantly in the U.S., from a low of $7,000 annually in California to a high of $52,700 in Washington. Previous research has provided surprisingly little guidance to policy makers regarding the tradeoffs associated with this variation. In this paper, we use 37 years of data for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. to estimate the impact of the UI tax base on labor-market outcomes. We find that the low tax base that exists in California and many other states (and the necessarily higher tax rates that accompany these) negatively affects labor market outcomes for part-time and other low-earning workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ortigueira, Salvador & Nawid Siassi (2022): The U.S. tax-transfer system and low-income households: Savings, labor supply, and household formation. In: Review of Economic Dynamics, Jg. 44, S. 184-210. DOI:10.1016/j.red.2021.02.010

Abstract

"Eligibility and benefits for anti-poverty income transfers in the U.S. are based on both the means and the household characteristics of applicants, such as their filing status, living arrangement, and marital status. In this paper we develop a dynamic structural model to study the effects of the U.S. tax-transfer system on the decisions of non-college-educated workers with children. In our model workers face uninsurable idiosyncratic risks and make decisions on savings, labor supply, living arrangement, and marital status. We find that the U.S. anti-poverty policy distorts the cohabitation/marriage decision of single mothers, providing incentives to cohabit. We also find quantitatively important effects on savings, and on the labor supply of husbands and wives. Namely, the model yields a U-shaped relationship between the earnings of one spouse and the labor supply of the other spouse, a result that we also find in the data. We show that these U-shaped relationships stem in part from the current design of anti-poverty income programs, and that the introduction of an EITC deduction on the earnings of secondary earners—as proposed in the 21st Century Worker Tax Cut Act—would increase the employment rate of the spouses of workers earning between $15K and $35K, especially of female spouses." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2022 Elsevier) ((en))

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Farmand, Aida & Owen Davis (2021): Who Does the Earned Income Tax Credit Benefit? A Monopsony View. (Working paper / Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis 2021-02), New York, NY, 45 S.

Abstract

"The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) targets refundable tax credits to low-income workers, incentivizing labor supply and raising the incomes of tens of millions of Americans. One possible consequence of subsidizing low-wage work, however, is to reduce wage growth. A monopsony model of the EITC is developed in order to analyze its impacts on labor market outcomes, which are identified by exploiting variation in state EITC supplements. A first set of results focused on the food service industry find that the EITC increases employment and reduces turnover among young women. Further results suggest that the EITC reduces wages for workers without college degrees. These findings prompt a reconsideration of the redistributive effects of the EITC, particularly for groups like older low-wage workers who face slower wage growth as a result of the policy but do not receive the same level of benefits on average." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hammer, Bernhard, Michael Christl & Silvia De Poli (2021): Redistribution across Europe: How much and to whom? (JRC working papers on taxation and structural reforms 2021-14), Seville, 28 S.

Abstract

"Governments face a potential trade-off between provision for the growing population in retirement and the support of working-age households with low income. Using EUROMOD-based microdata from 28 countries, we (a) quantify the redistribution to the pensioner and non-pensioner populations, (b) study the position of net beneficiaries in the overall income distribution and (c) analyse how taxes and benefits affect the working-age population with low income. Our results provide novel insights into the distributive role of tax-benefit systems across Europe. Interestingly, a strong overall redistribution between households is associated with generous pensions for a portion of the retirees but negatively related to support for low-income households." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hick, Rod & Alba Lanau (2019): Tax credits and in-work poverty in the UK. An analysis of income packages and anti-poverty performance. In: Social policy and society, Jg. 18, H. 2, S. 219-236. DOI:10.1017/S1474746418000118

Abstract

"This article examines the relationship between tax credits and in-work poverty, drawing on the findings from a major national study on in-work poverty. We present an analysis of (i) the income packages of working families and (ii) the performance of tax credits in relation to anti-poverty objectives, drawing on data from the Households Below Average Income survey between 2004/5 and 2014/15. Our study generates five novel findings, including that tax credits reduce the poverty gap of recipient households by two-thirds; that tax credit cuts post-2010/11 have served to focus payments on single parent families and households with greater numbers of children; and that tax credits make up just one third of the social security income of working households. We argue that understanding in greater depth the interaction between tax credits and income adequacy amongst working families is necessary to provide a firmer foundation for an effective assault on in-work poverty." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bach, Stefan, Hermann Buslei, Björn Fischer & Michelle Harnisch (2018): Aufkommens- und Verteilungswirkungen eines Entlastungsbetrags für Sozialversicherungsbeiträge bei der Einkommensteuer (SV-Entlastungsbetrag). (DIW Berlin. Politikberatung kompakt 128), Berlin, III, 33 S.

Abstract

"In diesem Forschungsprojekt werden die Aufkommens- und Verteilungswirkungen eines Entlastungsbetrags für Sozialversicherungsbeiträge bei der Einkommensteuer (SV-Entlastungsbetrag) analysiert. Dieser Steuerabzug entlastet niedrige Arbeitseinkommen, indem die Arbeitnehmerbeiträge zu den Sozialversicherungen sowie gleichwertige Vorsorgeaufwendungen bis zu einem Höchstbetrag von der Einkommensteuerschuld abgezogen werden, zum Beispiel bis 50 Euro, 100 Euro oder 150 Euro im Monat. Der SV-Entlastungsbetrag wird als Negativsteuer ausgezahlt, wenn er die Einkommensteuerschuld übersteigt. Der SV-Entlastungsbetrag wird gekürzt um die steuerliche Entlastungswirkung, die durch den Abzug der Sozialversicherungsbeiträge als Vorsorgeaufwendungen entsteht. Dadurch wird er bei steigenden Einkommen abgeschmolzen und nur bis zu mittleren Arbeitseinkommen gewährt, sofern keine Verluste aus anderen Einkünften oder höhere Abzüge das zu versteuernde Einkommen mindern." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Marchal, Sarah & Ive Marx (2018): Stemming the tide. What have European Union countries done to support low-wage workers in an era of downward wage pressures? In: Journal of European social policy, Jg. 28, H. 1, S. 18-33. DOI:10.1177/0958928717704747

Abstract

"Governments across the European Union (EU) have been striving to get more people into work while at the same time acknowledging that more needs to be done to 'make work pay'. Yet this drive comes at a time when structural economic shifts are putting pressure on wages, especially of less skilled workers. This article focuses on trends in minimum wages, income taxes and work-related benefits within a selection of 15 EU countries, for the period 2001 - 2012, with three US states included as reference cases. We find evidence for eroding relative minimum wages in various EU countries, yet combined with catch-up growth in the new member states. We also find that governments counteracted eroding minimum wages through direct income support measures, especially for lone parents. Most prevalent among these were substantial declines in income tax liabilities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ayala, Luis & Milagros Paniagua (2017): The impact of in-work benefits on female labor supply and income distribution in Spain. (EUROMOD working paper 2017,17), Colchester: EUROMOD at the Institute for Social and Economic Research, 36 S.

Abstract

"In-work benefits (IWBs) have become very common transfer programs that seek to meet both efficiency and equity targets. An expanding literature has assessed the effects of these policies on income distribution and labor supply showing important implications for female labor participation. In this paper, we estimate the distributional and behavioral impacts of a simulated IWB in Spain based on the replacement of the existing working mother tax credit (WMTC) using as a reference the US Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). We simulate the effects of the proposed scheme using EUROMOD and a discrete choice model of labor supply. Our results show that the enhancement of the proposed IWB would have significant and positive effects both in terms of female labor participation and inequality and poverty reduction. The introduction of this IWB would generate a substantial increase in labor participation at the extensive margin and a non-negligible reduction at the intensive margin." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Haywood, Luke & Michael Neumann (2017): The role of aggregate preferences for labor supply. Evidence from low-paid employment. (DIW-Diskussionspapiere 1652), Berlin, 56 S.

Abstract

"Labor supply in the market for low-paid jobs in Germany is strongly influenced by tax exemptions - even for individuals to whom these exemptions do not apply. We present compelling evidence that an individual's choice set depends on other workers' preferences because firms cater their job offers to aggregate preferences in the market. We estimate an equilibrium job search model which rationalizes the strong earnings bunching at the tax exemption threshold using German administrative data. We then simulate modifications to the tax schedule that remove the discontinuity and thus the bunching at the threshold. Results highlight the indirect costs of (discontinuous) tax policies which are shown to be reinforced by firm responses: Workers who would work anyway are hurt by subsidies benefiting groups who enter the market as a result of tax incentives." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Vandelannoote, Dieter & Gerlinde Verbist (2017): The impact of in-work benefits on employment and poverty. (EUROMOD working paper 2017,04), Colchester, 33 S.

Abstract

"This article studies the impact of design characteristics of in-work benefits on employment and poverty in an international comparative setting, taking account of both first and second order labour supply effects. We use the micro-simulation model EUROMOD, which has been enriched with a discrete labour supply model. The analysis is performed for four EU-member states: Belgium, Italy, Poland and Sweden. The results show that design characteristics matter substantially, though the specific effects differ in magnitude across countries, indicating there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Throughout the analysis, numerous trade-offs are uncovered: not only between employment and poverty goals, but also within employment incentives itself (extensive vs. intensive margin). Taking account of behavioural reactions attenuates the impact on poverty outcomes, signalling the importance of bringing these effects into the empirical analysis." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sykes, Jennifer, Katrin Križ, Kathryn Edin & Sarah Halpern-Meekin (2015): Dignity and dreams: what the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) means to low-income families. In: American Sociological Review, Jg. 80, H. 2, S. 243-267. DOI:10.1177/0003122414551552

Abstract

"Money has meaning that shapes its uses and social significance, including the monies low-income families draw on for survival: wages, welfare, and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). This study, based on in-depth interviews with 115 low-wage EITC recipients, reveals the EITC is an unusual type of government transfer. Recipients of the EITC say they value the debt relief this government benefit brings. However, they also perceive it as a just reward for work, which legitimizes a temporary increase in consumption. Furthermore, unlike other means-tested government transfers, the credit is seen as a springboard for upward mobility. Thus, by conferring dignity and spurring dreams, the EITC enhances feelings of citizenship and social inclusion." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Boyd-Swan, Casey, Chris M. Herbst, John Ifcher & Homa Zarghamee (2013): The Earned Income Tax Credit, health, and happiness. (IZA discussion paper 7261), Bonn, 41 S.

Abstract

"This paper contributes to the small but growing literature evaluating the health effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). In particular, we use data from the National Survey of Families and Households to study the impact of the 1990 federal EITC expansion on several outcomes related to mental health and subjective well-being. The identification strategy relies on a difference-in-differences framework to estimate intent-to-treat effects for the post-reform period. Our results suggest that the 1990 EITC reform generated sizeable health benefits for low-skilled mothers. Such women experienced lower depression symptomatology, an increase in self-reported happiness, and improved self-efficacy relative to their childless counterparts. Consistent with previous work, we find that married mothers captured most of the health benefits, with unmarried mothers' health changing very little following the 1990 EITC reform." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ajilore, Olugbenga (2012): Did the Work Opportunity Tax Credit cause subsidized worker substitution? In: Economic Development Quarterly, Jg. 26, H. 3, S. 231-237. DOI:10.1177/0891242412453306

Abstract

"This article questions whether the implementation of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) created an incentive for employers to substitute subsidized workers for incumbent workers. To see if this substitution occurs, the author uses a differences-in-differences methodology to test whether the implementation of the WOTC caused both an increase in employment from a representative target group and a decrease in employment of a group that is a close substitute for members of the target group. The author finds no evidence that subsidized worker substitution occurred in the period after the WOTC was implemented. There is evidence that the WOTC is effective in increasing the employment rates of long-term welfare recipients." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Blundell, Richard & Andrew Shephard (2012): Employment, hours of work and the optimal taxation of low income families. In: The Review of Economic Studies, Jg. 79, H. 2, S. 481-510. DOI:10.1093/restud/rdr034

Abstract

"The optimal design of low-income support is examined using a structural labour supply model. The approach incorporates unobserved heterogeneity, fixed costs of work, childcare costs and the detailed non-convexities of the tax and transfer system. The analysis considers purely Pareto improving reforms and also optimal design under social welfare functions with different degrees of inequality aversion. We explore the gains from tagging and also examine the case for the use of hours-contingent payments. Using the tax schedule for lone parents in the U.K. as our policy environment, the results point to a reformed non-linear tax schedule with tax credits only optimal for low earners. The results also suggest a welfare improving role for tagging according to child age and for hours-contingent payments, although the case for the latter is mitigated when hours cannot be monitored or recorded accurately by the tax authorities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Chowdry, Haroon (2012): Time-limited in-work benefits in the UK. A review of recent evidence. In: National Institute Economic Review, Jg. 219, H. 1, S. R53-R64. DOI:10.1177/002795011221900106

Abstract

"This paper reviews three UK-based welfare-to-work programmes featuring time-limited financial incentives to leave out-of-work benefits for employment. The policies considered are (i) the Employment Retention and Advancement demonstration, aimed at lone parents and the long-term unemployed; (ii) In-Work Credit, aimed at lone parents on welfare; (iii) Pathways to Work, aimed at recipients of incapacity benefits. I illustrate the difficulties in extrapolating from specific findings to general policy-relevant conclusions. Finally, I depict the challenge facing evaluators in future and point to the directions in which evaluation will need to develop if it is to contribute more fully to policy-relevant evaluation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Chyi, Hau (2012): The 1993 EITC expansion and low-skilled single mothers' welfare use decision. In: Applied Economics, Jg. 44, H. 13, S. 1717-1736. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2011.554372

Abstract

"Previous studies on low-skilled single mothers focus generally either on the binary welfare use or work decision. However, work among welfare participants has increased steadily since the mid-1990s. This study estimates the role of the 1993 Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) expansion on the decline of welfare caseloads using a bivariate probit model. Using monthly Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) information, I find that the 1993 EITC expansion has at least the same effect on reducing welfare use as the welfare reform initiatives. Moreover, the elasticity estimates indicate that single mothers, especially those who were not employed and dependent solely on welfare before the expansion, were the most responsive to the policy initiatives. Finally, the increase in work among welfare participants is due to the relative ineffectiveness of the policies in reducing the net population of those who are on welfare and work simultaneously." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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De Luca, Giuseppe, Claudio Rossetti & Daniela Vuri (2012): In-work benefits for married couples. An ex-ante evaluation of EITC and WTC policies in Italy. (IZA discussion paper 6739), Bonn, 41 S.

Abstract

"This paper investigates labor supply and redistributive effects of in-work benefits for Italian married couples using a tax-benefit microsimulation model and a multi-sectoral discrete choice model of labor supply. We consider two in-work benefit schemes following the key principles of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Working Tax Credit (WTC) existing in the US and the UK, respectively. The standard design of these in-work benefits is however augmented with a new benefit premium for two-earner households in order to overcome the well-known disincentive effects that these welfare instruments may generate on secondary earners. In simulation, the proposed in-work benefits are financed through the abolition of Italian family allowances for dependent employees and contingent workers thus ensuring tax revenue neutrality. We show that our EITC and WTC reforms have strong positive effects on labor supply of wives, weak negative effects on labor supply of husbands, and strong positive effects on equity. The EITC is more effective than the WTC in boosting employment of wives, while the WTC is more effective than the EITC in fighting poverty. In both schemes, the trade-off between labor supply incentives and redistributive effects is crucially related to the new benefit premium for two-earner households. Other things being equal, tax revenue neutrality implies that a higher value of this policy coefficient yields stronger incentive effects and weaker redistributive effects." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Edmark, Karin, Che-Yuan Liang, Eva Mörk & Hakan Selin (2012): Evaluation of the Swedish earned income tax credit. (Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation. Working paper 2012,01), Uppsala, 39 S.

Abstract

"Over the last twenty years we have seen an increasing use of in-work tax subsidies to encourage labor supply among low-income groups. In Sweden, a non-targeted earned income tax credit was introduced in 2007, and was reinforced in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The stated motive of the reform was to boost employment; in particular to provide incentives for individuals to go from unemployment to, at least, part-time work. In this paper we try to analyze the extensive margin labor supply effects of the Swedish earned income tax credit reform up to 2008. For identification we exploit the fact that the size of the tax credit, as well as the resulting average tax rate, is a function of the municipality of residence and income if working. However, throughout the analysis we find placebo effects that are similar in size to the estimated reform effects. In addition, the results are sensitive with respect to how we define employment, which is especially true when we analyze different subgroups such as men and women, married and singles. Our conclusion is that the identifying variation is too small and potentially endogenous and that it is therefore not possible to use this variation to perform a quasi-experimental evaluation of the Swedish EITC-reform." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Herzog-Stein, Alexander & Werner Sesselmeier (2012): Alternativen zu Mini- und Midijobs? Die Beispiele Frankreich und Vereinigtes Königreich. In: WSI-Mitteilungen, Jg. 65, H. 1, S. 41-49. DOI:10.5771/0342-300X-2012-1-41

Abstract

"Mit den 2003 eingeführten Minijobs waren die Zielvorstellungen verbunden, näher an die Normalarbeitsverhältnisse heranzurücken, zudem Übergänge zu diesen zu schaffen, aber auch im Unterschied zu den Normalarbeitsverhältnissen so attraktiv für die Arbeitnehmer zu sein, dass damit schattenwirtschaftliche Tätigkeiten abgebaut würden. Trotz des hohen Umfangs an Minijobs scheint man den damit verbundenen Zielen nicht näher gekommen zu sein. Der Beitrag untersucht vergleichbare Instrumente im Vereinigten Königreich und in Frankreich. In beiden Ländern existieren explizite Lohnzuschüsse, die im Unterschied zu Deutschland im Einkommensteuersystem verankert sind, in Kombination mit Förderschwellen und Mindestlöhnen. Die vorliegenden Untersuchungen deuten darauf hin, dass die Brückenfunktion mit dieser Instrumentenkombination effektiver funktioniert als die Minijob-Regelungen in Deutschland." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Marx, Ive, Sarah Marchal & Brian Nolan (2012): Mind the gap: Net incomes of minimum wage workers in the EU and the US. (IZA discussion paper 6510), Bonn, 25 S.

Abstract

"This paper focuses on the role of minimum wages, tax and benefit policies in protecting workers against financial poverty, covering 21 European countries with a national minimum wage and three US States (New Jersey, Nebraska and Texas). It is shown that only for single persons and only in a number of countries, net income packages at minimum wage level reach or exceed the EU's at-risk-of poverty threshold, set at 60 per cent of median equivalent household income in each country. For lone parents and sole breadwinners with a partner and children to support, net income packages at minimum wage are below this threshold almost everywhere, usually by a wide margin. This is the case despite shifts over the past decade towards tax relief and additional income support provisions for low-paid workers. We argue that there appear to be limits to what minimum wage policies alone can achieve in the fight against in-work poverty. The route of raising minimum wages to eliminate poverty among workers solely reliant on it seems to be inherently constrained, especially in countries where the distance between minimum and average wage levels is already comparatively small and where relative poverty thresholds are mostly a function of the dual-earner living standards. In order to fight in-work poverty new policy routes need to be explored. The paper offers a brief discussion of possible alternatives and cautions against 'one size fits all' policy solutions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Marx, Ive, Josefine Vanhille & Gerlinde Verbist (2012): Combating in-work poverty in continental Europe. An investigation using the Belgian case. In: Journal of social policy, Jg. 41, H. 1, S. 19-41. DOI:10.1017/S0047279411000341

Abstract

"Recent studies find in-work poverty to be a pan-European phenomenon. Yet in-work poverty has come to the fore as a policy issue only recently in most continental European countries. Policies implemented in the United States and the United Kingdom, most notably in-work benefit schemes, are much discussed. This article argues that if it comes to preventing and alleviating poverty among workers, both the policy options and constraints facing Continental European policymakers are fundamentally different from those facing Anglo-Saxon policymakers. Consequently, policies that work in one setting cannot be simply emulated elsewhere. We present microsimulation derived results for Belgium to illustrate some of these points. Policy options discussed and simulated include: higher minimum wages, reductions in employee social security contributions, tax relief for low-paid workers and the implementation of a stylised version of the British Working Tax Credit. The latter measure has the strongest impact on in-work poverty, but in settings where wages are compressed, as in Belgium, a severe trade-off between coverage and budgetary cost presents itself. The article concludes that looking beyond targeted measures to universal benefits and support for employment of carers may be important components of an overall policy package to tackle in-work poverty." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Schmeiser, Maximilian D. (2012): Expanding New York State's Earned Income Tax Credit Programme. The effect on work, income and poverty. In: Applied Economics, Jg. 44, H. 16, S. 2035-2050. DOI:10.1080/00036846.2011.558478

Abstract

"Given its favourable employment incentives and ability to target the working poor, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has become the primary antipoverty programme at both the federal and state levels. However, when evaluating the effect of EITC programmes on income and poverty, governments generally calculate the effect using simple accounting, where the value of the state or federal EITC benefit is added to a person's income. These calculations omit the behavioural incentives created by the existence of these programmes, the corresponding effect on labour supply and hours worked, and therefore the actual effect on income and poverty. This article simulates the full effect of an expansion of the New York State EITC benefit on employment, hours worked, income, poverty and programme expenditures. These results are then compared to those omitting labour supply effects. Relative to estimates excluding labour supply effects, the preferred behavioural results show that an expansion of the New York State EITC increases employment by an additional 14?244 persons, labour earnings by an additional $95.8 million, family income by an additional $84.5 million, decreases poverty by an additional 56?576 persons and increases costs to the State by $29.7 million." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Schmitt, John (2012): Low-wage lessons. Washington, DC, 13 S.

Abstract

"Over the last two decades, high - and, in some countries, rising - rates of low-wage work have emerged as a major political concern. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in 2009, about one-fourth of U.S. workers were in low-wage jobs, defined as earning less than two-thirds of the national median hourly wage. About one-fifth of workers in the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, and Germany were receiving low wages by the same definition. In all but a handful of the rich OECD countries, more than 10 percent of the workforce was in a low-wage job.
If low-wage jobs act as a stepping stone to higher-paying work, then even a relatively high share of low-wage work may not be a serious social problem. If, however, as appears to be the case in much of the wealthy world, low-wage work is a persistent and recurring state for many workers, then low-wages may contribute to broader income and wealth inequality and constitute a threat to social cohesion. This report draws five lessons on low-wage work from the recent experiences of the United States and other rich economies in the OECD." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Albelda, Randy (2011): Time binds: US antipoverty policies, poverty, and the well-being of single mothers. In: Feminist economics, Jg. 17, H. 4, S. 189-214. DOI:10.1080/13545701.2011.602355

Abstract

"Many US antipoverty programs and measures assume mothers have little, intermittent, or no employment and therefore have sufficient time to care for children, perform household tasks, and apply for and maintain eligibility for these programs. Employment-promotion policies directed toward low-income mothers since the late 1980s have successfully increased their time in the labor force. However, low wages and insufficient employer-based benefits often leave employed single mothers with inadequate material resources to support families and less time to care for their children. The lack of consideration given to the value of poor women's time in both the administration and benefit levels of antipoverty government support, as well as the measures used to calculate poverty, place more binds on poor and low-income mothers' time. Ignoring these binds causes researchers and policymakers to overestimate single mothers' well-being and reduces the effectiveness of the policies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Blundell, Richard, Marco Francesconi & Wilbert van der Klaauw (2011): Anatomy of welfare reform evaluation. Announcement and implementation effects. (IZA discussion paper 6050), Bonn, 60 S.

Abstract

"This paper formulates a simple model of female labor force decisions which embeds an in-work benefit reform and explicitly allows for announcement and implementation effects. We explore several mechanisms through which women can respond to the announcement of a reform that increases in-work benefits, including sources of intertemporal substitution, human capital accumulation, and labor market frictions. Using the model's insights and information of the precise timing of the announcement and implementation of a major UK in-work benefit reform, we estimate its effects on single mothers' behavior. We find important announcement effects on employment decisions. We show that this finding is consistent with the presence of short-run frictions in the labor market. Evaluations of this reform which ignore such effects produce impact effect estimates that are biased downwards by 15 to 35 percent." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Blundell, Richard & Andrew Shephard (2011): Employment, hours of work and the optimal taxation of low income families. (IZA discussion paper 5745), Bonn, 48 S.

Abstract

"The optimal design of low income support is examined using a structural labour supply model. The approach incorporates unobserved heterogeneity, fixed costs of work, childcare costs and the detailed non-convexities of the tax and transfer system. The analysis considers purely Pareto improving reforms and also optimal design under social welfare functions with different degrees of inequality aversion. We explore the gains from tagging and also examine the case for the use of hours-contingent payments. Using the tax schedule for lone parents in the UK as our policy environment, the results point to a reformed non-linear tax schedule with tax credits only optimal for low earners. The results also suggest a welfare improving role for tagging according to child age and for hours-contingent payments, although the case for the latter is mitigated when hours cannot be monitored or recorded accurately by the tax authorities." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Brett, Craig & Laurence Jacquet (2011): Workforce or workfare? (CESifo working paper 3463), München, 16 S.

Abstract

"This article explores the use of workfare as part of an optimal tax mix when labor supply responses are along the extensive margin. Particular attention is paid to the interaction between workfare and an earned income tax credit, two policies that are designed to provide additional incentives for individuals to enter the labor force. This article shows that, despite their common goal, these policies are often at odds with each other." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Griffiths, Rita (2011): Helping more parents move into work. An evaluation of the extension of New Deal Plus for Lone Parents and In Work Credit. Final report. (Department for Work and Pensions. Research report 732), London, 136 S.

Abstract

"This report presents findings from the second and final phase of a two part qualitative evaluation of a series of Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) policy measures targeted at lone and couple parents, which aimed to increase parental employment as well as reduce child poverty.
The aim of the evaluation overall was to explore whether the measures offered an adequate package of support to parents, in London and non-London New Deal Plus for Lone Parents (ND+fLP) pilot areas, and if the measures, either collectively or singly, encouraged them to enter and sustain work.
This final phase of the research aimed to follow up issues raised in the first phase of the research (and published in a separate accompanying report). It examined the effects of In Work Credit (IWC) and other policy measures on parents' work-related decision making and behaviours, looking in particular at whether the measures encouraged and supported work entry, work retention and work progression. A related area of investigation explored how parents were able to balance work and childcare.
The research consisted of 66 face-to-face interviews with parents in two case study areas in the spring and summer of 2010 - 43 couple parents and 23 lone parents. Sixteen of the couple parents had been interviewed in the first phase of the research. Face-to-face and telephone interviews were also held with Jobcentre Plus staff in the two case study areas." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Neumark, David & William Wascher (2011): Does a higher minimum wage enhance the effectiveness of the Earned Income Tax Credit? In: Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Jg. 64, H. 4, S. 712-746.

Abstract

"The authors estimate the effects of the interactions between the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and minimum wages on labor market outcomes. They use information on policy variation from the Department of Labor's Monthly Labor Review, reports published by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and data on individuals and families from the Current Population Survey to assess the economic impact of minimum wages and the EITC on families. Their results indicate that for single women with children, the EITC boosts employment and earnings, and coupling the EITC with a higher minimum wage enhances this positive effect. Conversely, for less-skilled minority men and for women without children, employment and earnings are more adversely affected by the EITC when the minimum wage is higher. Turning from individuals to families, for very poor families with children a higher minimum wage increases the positive impact of the EITC on incomes, so that a higher minimum wage appears to enhance the effects of the EITC. Whether the policy combination of a high EITC and a high minimum wage is viewed as favorable or unfavorable depends in Part on whom policymakers are trying to help." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Athreya, Kartik B., Devin Reilly & Nicole B. Simpson (2010): Earned Income Tax Credit recipients: income, marginal tax rates, wealth, and credit constraints. In: Economic Quarterly, Jg. 96, H. 3, S. 229-258.

Abstract

"The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has evolved into the largest anti-poverty program in the United States by providing tax credits for low and moderate income working families. In this paper, we describe the characteristics of EITC recipients at various ages using Current Population Survey data. In addition, we discuss the relevance of the EITC in affecting marginal income tax rates in the United States and discuss the effects of the EITC on household labor supply decisions. Lastly, using data from the Survey of Consumer Finances, we estimate wealth distributions for EITC recipients and analyze the extent to which EITC recipients are credit constrained." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hendra, Richard, Keri-Nicole Dillman, Gayle Hamilton, Erika Lundquist, Karin Martinson & Melissa Wavelet (2010): How effective are different approaches aiming to increase employment retention and advancement? Final impacts for twelve models. The Employment Retention and Advancement Project. Washington, D.C., 540 S.

Abstract

"Research completed since the 1980s has yielded substantial knowledge about how to help welfare recipients and other low-income individuals prepare for and find jobs. Many participants in these successful job preparation and placement programs, however, ended up in unstable, low-paying jobs, and little was known about how to effectively help them keep employment and advance in their jobs. The national Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) project sought to fill this knowledge gap, by examining over a dozen innovative and diverse employment retention and advancement models developed by states and localities for different target groups, to determine whether effective strategies could be identified.
Using a random assignment research design, the ERA project tested the effectiveness of programs that attempted to promote steady work and career advancement for current and former welfare recipients and other low-wage workers, most of whom were single mothers. The programs -- generally supported by existing public funding, not special demonstration grants -- reflected state and local choices regarding target populations, goals, ways of providing services, and staffing. The ERA project is being conducted by MDRC, under contract to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with additional funding from the U.S. Department of Labor. This report presents the final effectiveness findings, or impacts, for 12 of the 16 ERA programs, and it also summarizes how the 12 programs were implemented and individuals' levels of participation in program services." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Leigh, Andrew (2010): Who benefits from the Earned Income Tax Credit? Incidence among recipients, coworkers and firms. (IZA discussion paper 4960), Bonn, 45 S.

Abstract

"How are hourly wages affected by the Earned Income Tax Credit? Using variation in state EITC supplements, I find that a 10 percent increase in the generosity of the EITC is associated with a 5 percent fall in the wages of high school dropouts and a 2 percent fall in the wages of those with only a high school diploma, while having no effect on the wages of college graduates. Given the large increase in labor supply induced by the EITC, this is consistent with most reasonable estimates of the elasticity of labor demand. Although workers with children receive a much larger EITC than childless workers, and the effect of the credit on labor force participation is larger for those with children, the hourly wages of both groups are similarly affected by an EITC increase. As a check on this strategy, I also use federal variation in the EITC across gender-age-education groups, and find that those demographic groups that received the largest EITC increases also experienced a drop in their hourly wages, relative to other groups." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Miller, Cynthia, Victoria Deitch & Aaron Hill (2010): Paths to advancement for single parents. The Employment Retention and Advancement Project. New York, NY, 84 S.

Abstract

"Between 2000 and 2003, the Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) project identified and implemented a diverse set of innovative models designed to promote employment stability and wage or earnings progression among low-income individuals, mostly current or former welfare recipients. While the main objective of ERA was to test a range of program approaches, the data collected as part of the evaluation provide an important opportunity to look in depth at the work experiences over a three-year period of the more than 27,000 single parents targeted by the programs. As single parents - most of whom were current or former welfare recipients - many of them faced considerable barriers to work and advancement.
This report augments the ERA project's experimental findings by examining the work, education, and training experiences of single parents targeted by the programs studied. Specifically, these analyses identify the single parents in the study who advanced, and it compares their experiences with the experiences of parents who did not advance. Although the analyses are descriptive only and cannot be used to identify the exact causes of advancement, examining the characteristics of single parents who advance and the pathways by which they do so can inform the design of the next generation of retention and advancement programs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ray, Kathryn, Christine Bertram, Rosemary Davidson & Lucia Durante (2010): Can altering the structure of financial support payments aid work retention amongst lone parents? Qualitative evaluation of the In Work Retention Pilot. (Great Britain, Department of Work and Pensions. Research report 708), London, 104 S.

Abstract

"Wage supplementations in the form of temporary 'in-work credits' have been introduced in recent years for a number of claimant groups entering work, to encourage enhanced work entry and retention rates. For lone parents, the In Work Credit was piloted from April 2004 and then rolled out nationally in April 2008. It is a wage supplement paid at £40 a week (£60 in London) for 12 months to eligible lone parents moving in to work. From July 2008 to June 2010, a variant on this, the In Work Retention Pilot (IWRP), was trialled in two Jobcentre Plus districts. The IWRP was intended to test the effectiveness of using In Work Credit payments as an aid to job retention and progression, by changing the payment structure of the credits and offering additional advisory support on retention and advancement.
This report presents findings from a qualitative evaluation of the IWRP, examining the delivery of the pilot and the views of lone parents and Jobcentre Plus staff on: the distinctive IWRP payment structure; the retention and progression challenges facing lone parents and the support received; and whether and how the IWRP made a difference to work behaviour and decisions. The study is based on interviews, focus groups and observations with Jobcentre Plus delivery staff and participating lone parents." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sims, Lorraine, Jo Casebourne, Laurie Bell & Malen Davies (2010): Supporting lone parents' journey off benefits and into work. A qualitative evaluation of the role of In Work Credit. (Great Britain, Department of Work and Pensions. Research report 712), London, 91 S.

Abstract

"In Work Credit (IWC) is a non-taxable weekly payment of £40 (£60 in London districts). It is paid for a maximum of 52 weeks to lone parents moving into paid employment of 16 hours per week or more, who have had a period of 12 months or more on out-of-work benefits. The policy intent of IWC is to increase lone parent employment rates by encouraging more lone parents to look for work and to move from benefits into work, as well as to contribute to the Government's target of reducing child poverty. Since it was rolled out nationally in April 2008, 118,100 individuals have received IWC (April 2008 to the end of March 2010. Source: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)).
The Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion was commissioned by the DWP to carry out a qualitative evaluation of the delivery of IWC since national roll-out, investigate the effect on retention after the end of IWC and examine differences between those who completed their claim and those who did not. In addition, the research examined the wider impact of being in work on lone parents and their children." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Blundell, Richard, Mike Brewer, Peter Haan & Andrew Shephard (2009): Optimal income taxation of lone mothers. An empirical comparison of the UK and Germany. In: The economic journal, Jg. 119, H. 535, S. F101-F121. DOI:10.1111/j.1468-0297.2008.02261.x

Abstract

"Optimal tax rules are used to evaluate the optimality of taxation for lone mothers in Germany and Britain. The theoretical model is combined with elasticities derived from the structural estimation of lone mothers' labour supply. For both countries we do not find that in-work credits with marginal tax rates are optimal. However we show that when the government has a low taste for redistribution, out-of-work transfers and transfer for the working poor are very similar, implying very low marginal tax rates. Further, the current tax and transfer systems in both countries are shown to be optimal only if governments have a much higher welfare value for income received by the non-workers than the working poor." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Dahl, Molly, Thomas DeLeire & Jonathan Schwabish (2009): Stepping stone or dead end? The effect of the EITC on earnings growth. (IZA discussion paper 4146), Bonn, 33 S.

Abstract

"While many studies have found that the EITC increases the employment rates of single mothers, no study to date has examined whether the jobs taken by single mothers as a result of the EITC incentives are 'dead-end' jobs or jobs that have the potential for earnings growth. Using a panel of administrative earnings data linked to nationally representative survey data, we find no evidence that the EITC expansions between 1994 and 1996 induced single mothers to take 'dead-end' jobs. If anything, the increase in earnings growth during the mid-to-late 1990s for single mothers who were particularly affected by the EITC expansion was higher than it was for other similar women. The EITC encourages work among single mothers, and that work continues to pay off through future increases in earnings." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Evans, Patricia M. (2009): Lone mothers, workfare and precarious employment. Time for a Canadian basic income? In: International social security review, Jg. 62, H. 1, S. 45-64. DOI:10.1111/j.1468-246X.2008.01321.x

Abstract

"The growth of precarious employment poses significant challenges to current social assistance income support policies yet it remains largely neglected in policy-making arenas. Drawing upon qualitative data from a study in Ontario, Canada, this paper examines the particular implications of these challenges for lone mothers, who figure prominently both in non-standard employment and as targets for workfare policies. In the context of changing labour markets, the article considers the potential strengths and limitations of Basic Income approaches to achieving economic security for lone mothers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Godwin, Michael & Colin Lawson (2009): Hidden costs of the welfare state: employers' compliance costs and the Working Tax Credit. In: Social policy and society, Jg. 8, H. 2, S. 185-195. DOI:10.1017/S1474746408004715

Abstract

"This paper explores the impact of the decision to make the Working Tax Credit (WTC) payable via the employer, until March 2006. A unique survey shows the unequal distribution of compliance costs across firms and industries. It also suggests that the arrangement had some unanticipated results, and may have damaged the effectiveness of the WTC. Some employers' compliance costs may have been shifted to employees. So from a social policy perspective administration is policy - the delivery system affects outcomes. However the switch to payments through HMRC from April 2006 does not remove all compliance costs from employers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Godwin, Michael & Colin Lawson (2009): The Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit 2003-08. A critical analysis. In: Benefits : the journal of poverty and social justice, Jg. 17, H. 1, S. 3-14.

Abstract

"This article examines the policy, administrative and compliance issues that have arisen with the UK Working Tax Credit (WTC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). It provides a critical commentary on overpayments; underpayments; error and fraud; take-up; and employer compliance costs. From a social policy perspective, these problems have damaged the effectiveness of tax credits, and from public policy and public finance viewpoints, they have damaged the reputation of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and HM Treasury. There is a strong case for a re-examination of the programme and its administration, to see if realistic reforms could deliver a more effective system." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Immervoll, Herwig (2009): Minimum-income benefits in OECD countries. Policy design, effectiveness and challenges. (IZA discussion paper 4627), Bonn, 52 S.

Abstract

"Almost all OECD countries operate comprehensive minimum-income programmes for working-age individuals, either as last-resort safety nets alongside primary income replacement benefits, or as the principal instrument for delivering social protection. Such safety-net benefits aim primarily at providing an acceptable standard of living for families unable to earn sufficient incomes from other sources. This paper provides an overview of social assistance and other minimum-income programmes in OECD countries, summarises their main features, and highlights a number of current policy challenges." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mikol, Fanny & Veronique Remy (2009): RSA - peut-on apprendre des expériences étrangères? Un bilan des travaux sur l'EITC e le WFTC. In: Travail et emploi H. 120, S. 63-75.

Abstract

"Earned income tax credit have been implemented in the United States and the United Kingdom since decades with two main objectives: income redistribution and giving incentives to get back to work. The Earned Income Tax Credit in the US and the Working Family Tax Credit in the UK have been largely studied: they both had effects on recipients' labour market participation differing according to their family situation. Although these credits aim at increasing household income, they may exert downward pressure on wages of both entitled and not entitled workers. These studies' results can be useful to anticipate the consequences of the 'tax credit' part of the RSA on labour market participation and on wages. Received by low-income workers, this new tax credit is closer to American and British ones than Employment Allowance ('prime pour l'emploi ')." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Brewer, Mike (2008): Welfare reform in the UK 1997-2007. (Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation. Working paper 2008,12), Uppsala, 52 S.

Abstract

"This paper presents a tour of welfare reforms in the UK since the last change of government, summarising the most important changes in active labour market policies (ALMPS), and in measures intended to strengthen financial incentives to work. It argues that developments in the UK's active labour market policies occurred in two broad phases: first, the Government sought to strengthen ALMPs for those individuals deemed to be unemployed, through the New Deal programme. Second, the Government has reformed benefits for individuals traditionally viewed as inactive and thus excused job search activity, such as lone parents, and the sick and disabled. Accompanying these have been changes to direct taxes, tax credits and welfare benefits aiming to strengthen financial work incentives. However, financial work incentives have been strengthened by less than might be expected given the early rhetoric: the expansion in family-based tax credits have weakened the financial work incentives of (potential) second earners in families with children, many more workers now face combined marginal tax and tax credit withdrawal rates in excess of 60 per cent than a decade ago, and a desire to achieve broad reductions in relative child poverty has led the Government to increase substantially income available to non-working families with children. We also summarise evaluations of three important UK welfare-to-work reforms (WFTC, NDYP and Pathways to Work), but without comparing their efficacy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cheron, Arnaud, Jean-Olivier Hairault & François Langot (2008): A quantitative evaluation of payroll tax subsidies for low-wage workers. An equilibrium search approach. In: Journal of Public Economics, Jg. 92, H. 3/4, S. 817-843. DOI:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2007.09.012

Abstract

"Phelps (Phelps, E. (1994): 'Low-wage employment subsidies versus the welfare state', American Economic Review 84, 54-58) presented the case for a low-wage subsidy policy. Since the mid-1990s, France has experimented with this strategy. This paper evaluates the effect of this policy on employment and also on output and welfare. We construct an equilibrium search model incorporating wage posting and specific human capital investment, where unemployment and the distribution of both wages and productivity are endogenous. We estimate this model using French data. Numerical simulations show that the prevailing minimum wage allows a high production level to be reached by increasing training investment, even though the optimal minimum wage is lower. We show that payroll tax subsidies enhance welfare more than a reduction in the minimum wage when they are spread over a large range of wages in order to avoid specialization in low productivity jobs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Eissa, Nada & Hilary Hoynes (2008): Redistribution and tax expenditures: The Earned Income Tax Credit. (NBER working paper 14307), Cambridge, Mass., 52 S. DOI:10.3386/w14307

Abstract

"This paper examines the distributional and behavioral effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). We chart the growth of the program over time, and argue several expansions show that real responses to taxes are important. We use tax data to show the distribution of benefits by income and family size, and examine the impacts of hypothetical reforms (expansions and contractions) to the credit. Finally, we calculate the efficiency effects of marginal changes to EITC parameters. Targeting the EITC to lower-income families by raising the phase-out rate generates a welfare loss for single mothers, primarily because of the disincentive to enter the labor market and not the traditional hours-of-work distortion." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Meyer, Bruce D. (2008): The US Earned Income Tax Credit, its effects, and possible reforms. (Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation. Working paper 2008,14), Uppsala, 34 S.

Abstract

"In this paper, I first summarize how the US Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) operates and describe the characteristics of recipients. I then discuss empirical work on the effects of the EITC on poverty and income distribution, and its effects on labor supply. Next, I discuss a few policy concerns about the EITC: possible negative effects on hours of work and marriage, and problems of compliance with the tax system. I then briefly discuss some possible reforms to the structure of the current EITC." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Millar, Jane (2008): Arbeit lohnend machen, Tax Credits erfolgreich machen. Eine Untersuchung unter spezieller Berücksichtigung berufstätiger Alleinerziehender. In: Internationale Revue für soziale Sicherheit, Jg. 61, H. 2, S. 21-42. DOI:10.1111/j.1752-1726.2008.00308.x

Abstract

"Dieser Beitrag untersucht Ursprünge, Ziele und Konzeption der britischen Tax Credits und geht der Frage nach, inwiefern Tax Credits einen neuen Ansatz in der sozialen Sicherheit darstellen. Daran anschließend geht es um die Rolle, die diese Transfers bei der Unterstützung berufstätiger allein erziehender Mütter spielen. Dazu wurden die Erfahrungen von Familien mit nur einem Elternteil herangezogen, um zu untersuchen, wie sich Tax Credits auf diese ausgewirkt haben. Anhand der Untersuchung werden die Spannungen deutlich, die infolge von Änderungen in Familie und Beschäftigung und den Tax-Credit-Vorschriften, die das Melden von Änderungen in den Lebensverhältnissen und beim Einkommen verlangen, entstehen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Schäfer, Holger (2008): Die soziale Grundsicherung in Deutschland. Status quo, Reformoptionen und Reformmodelle. (IW-Positionen 37), Köln: Deutscher Instituts-Verlag, 64 S.

Abstract

"Zwar ist mit der Hartz-IV-Reform der Rahmen der sozialen Grundsicherung in Deutschland gerade erst grundlegend reformiert worden. Dennoch gibt es nach wie vor eine Diskussion um die Weiterentwicklung des bestehenden Systems des Arbeitslosengelds II. In der Debatte geht es vor allem darum, die Grundsicherung so auszurichten, dass möglichst große Anreize von ihr ausgehen, erwerbstätig zu werden und zu bleiben. Die IW-Position bewertet Vorschläge für alternative Systeme, die für eine effektive Grundsicherung geeignet sind. Während die negative Einkommensteuer funktional äquivalent zum Arbeitslosengeld II ist, setzt das Workfare-Konzept auf eine konsequente Reziprozität der Leistungen. Demgegenüber verzichtet das Bürgergeld-Modell konsequent auf die Einforderung einer Gegenleistung. Auch der Vorschlag eines Mindestlohns wird betrachtet: Kann der Mindestlohn wirklich sicherstellen, dass jeder Haushalt ein existenzsicherndes Einkommen erzielt?" (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Abstract

"Das Gutachten bietet eine fundierte Analyse einer Vielzahl von Kombilohnmodellen unter Berücksichtigung von Kosten und Beschäftigungseffekten. Der Beirat rät von der Umsetzung von Bürgergeldmodellen und von Vorschlägen zu einem bedingungslosen Grundeinkommen ab, da diese mit nicht zu bewältigenden fiskalischen Risiken, ungewissen Beschäftigungseffekten sowie einer Reihe systematischer Probleme verbunden sind. Zur Stimulierung von Arbeitsangebot und -nachfrage im Niedriglohnbereich setzt der Beirat dagegen auf Workfare und Lohnsubventionen in einem eng begrenzten Rahmen. Die weitere konkrete Ausgestaltung soll aber vom Ergebnis zunächst vorzunehmender empirischer Experimente abhängig gemacht werden." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Acs, Gregory & Eric Toder (2007): Should we subsidize work? Welfare reform, the earned income tax credit and optimal transfers. In: International Tax and Public Finance, Jg. 14, H. 3, S. 327-343. DOI:10.1007/s10797-006-9010-z

Abstract

"During the 1990s, US income transfer and tax policies shifted towards trying to encourage work among low-income families. Optimal tax theory, however, suggests that work subsidies are usually an inefficient way to raise the incomes of poor families unless the work effort of recipients has external benefits and/or tax payer/voters prefer redistributing income to the working poor rather than the idle poor. This paper discusses the conditions under which work subsidies may be economically efficient and assesses empirical evidence that suggests that welfare reform and expansions of the EITC have increased work effort among low income families, but is inconclusive about whether the policy shift has enabled them to advance beyond entry-level jobs or benefited their children." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))