Unemployment insurance in South Africa : a descriptive overview of cliamants and claims
"This study, primarily descriptive in nature, is one of the first to examine the claiming behaviour of unemployment benefit recipients within the South African Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) system. The design of the UIF system in South Africa is crucial in determining access to the system in terms of days of benefits, as well as determining benefit amounts. From the perspective that South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, the UIF system is stringent in that the days of benefits are dependent on prior work history, though income replacement benefits are progressive with regard to previous income. The data shows that females, youth, poorer claimants and contract employees face the lowest potential claim days when claiming, while youth, poorer claimants and claimants with relatively short potential claim periods are eligible to claim a relatively larger proportion of their previous employment salaries as replacement benefits. Importantly though, in the period between 2005 and 2011, those with the lowest potential claim periods were also subject, on average, to lower absolute benefits compared to their wealthier counterparts. We do find though that claimants represent a subsect of vulnerable potential contributors. Finally, we do not find evidence in this descriptive overview of moral hazard effects, though this would have to be investigated further through more thorough survival analysis techniques." Abstract
Print Book, English, 2013
Development Policy Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 2013