Does an increase in unemployment income lead to longer unemployment spells? Evidence using Danish unemployment assistance data

Danish unemployment assistance depends on age; it increases by 70% when unemployed individuals turn 25. This feature is used to identify the impact of income on the unemployment-to-employment hazard rate. A mixed proportional hazard framework based on a 10% representative Danish registry data set is used. The results indicate that the income effect for females is negative and significant, corresponding to an income elasticity of -0.4. The effect for males is positive but insignifcant.