2018_Fa Shannon, Danny & Mackenzie: Unemployment Insurance

Colgate University Public Economics Course

In our podcast we explain how unemployment insurance can cause a moral hazard that leads to dependency and how this causes stigmas and can be perpetuated in the media. We start by defining dependency and explaining the moral hazard that comes with unemployment insurance. Next we interview Professor Kunio Tsuyuhara and he explains his study, which found that an increase in UI negatively correlates with economic growth. Next, we focused on media depictions of dependency, which found that dependency is most often addressed when looking at UI in the media. This may be the cause if racialized and gendered images of welfare recipients. After that, we had another guest who is a Colgate student that grew up in a single mother household. And finally, we examine the pro side of UI by looking at a study which suggests moderate amounts of unemployment insurance actually causes increased productivity and welfare.