How fair are unemployment benefits? The experience of East Asia. (29th April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hwang, Gyu‐Jin
• Is Part Of: International social security review. Volume 72:Number 2(2019)
• Page Start: 49
• Page End: 73
• Publication Date: 2019-04-29
• Subjects: unemployment benefit -- China -- Japan -- Republic of Korea -- Taiwan (China) -- East Asia; prestations de chômage -- Chine -- Japon -- République de Corée -- Taiwan (Chine) -- Asie du Sud‐Est; prestaciones por desempleo -- China -- Japón -- República de Corea -- Taiwán (China) -- Asia Sudoriental; Arbeitslosenleistungen -- China -- Japan -- Republik Korea -- Taiwan (China) -- Südostasien; Social security -- Periodicals; Public welfare -- Periodicals; 368.4
• DOI: 10.1111/issr.12202
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-871X

Abstract

Abstract: Despite an increasing emphasis on active labour market measures, unemployment benefits still remain a focal point of employment protection. This article takes the cases of four East Asian economies – China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China) –, which are often characterized as having welfare states with a strong developmental and productivist orientation, to investigate whether, as is sometimes argued, unemployment benefits are restrictive and exclusionary. In doing so, it examines the logic behind the design of unemployment benefits and argues that they are in fact progressive in design and fair when they pay out. Nonetheless, low effective coverage and low benefit rates weaken their redistribution and compensation objectives.