Zur Ausgestaltung der Arbeitslosenversicherung

Abstract

"In this Statement, the IAB is commenting on the motions of the parliamentary group The Left: 'Strengthening the protective function of unemployment insurance' (printed parliamentary document 18/7425) and of the parliamentary group Alliance 90/The Greens: 'Reforming unemployment insurance to make it fairer and more widely accessible' (printed parliamentary document 18/5386). In its motion, the parliamentary group Alliance 90/The Greens emphasises that, in view of the increasingly heterogeneous job market and the increasingly unstable nature of working life, many economically active people remain excluded from unemployment insurance. Other economically active people pay contributions, but are not entitled to unemployment benefit when they become unemployed. This is why these regulations should be replaced by a transparent system. In the long term, unemployment insurance should be redesigned as employment insurance which supports people before they become unemployed - for instance through further training and additional qualifications. In its motion, the parliamentary group The Left likewise calls attention to a central problem situation: more and more people who pay contributions cannot claim unemployment insurance benefits because of insecure employment contracts and low wages. Often they have to top up the unemployment insurance payments they receive with means-tested unemployment benefits (ALG II). In this regard, older people who become unemployed see themselves facing old-age poverty after having drawn unemployment insurance followed by basic means-tested unemployment benefits. The motion mentions unequal treatment and a lack of knowledge about entitlement when receiving the benefit, for instance where partial unemployment benefits and voluntary unemployment insurance are concerned. From this, both parliamentary groups put forward a number of suggestions for change with respect to unemployment insurance. These concern a shortening of the qualifying period and/or the extension of applicable periods for receipt; a uniform unemployment benefit for those who were formerly self-employed; the extension of the period of application for unemployment insurance for the self-employed, the extension of the period of receipt of unemployment benefit and a staged increase according to age; the introduction of a minimum unemployment benefit at the level of basic means-tested unemployment benefits ('SGB II' benefits); the structure of employment insurance and obligatory offers of further training/further qualifications; the appropriateness of work, and the financing of unemployment insurance. In as far as scientific findings are available on individual points, the IAB outlines these in its Statement and draws conclusions from a scientific perspective." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Bernhard, S., Dauth, C., Hofmann, B., Hohmeyer, K., Jahn, E., Kruppe, T., Oberfichtner, M., Sowa, F., Stephan, G., Trenkle, S., Weber, E. & Wolff, J. (2016): Zur Ausgestaltung der Arbeitslosenversicherung. Öffentliche Anhörung von Sachverständigen vor dem Ausschuss für Arbeit und Soziales des Deutschen Bundestags am 11. April 2016. (IAB-Stellungnahme 01/2016), Nürnberg, 37 p.