The authors are grateful to participants at the Canadian Labour Market and Skills Researcher Network workshop held in Toronto on November 18 and 19 2008 for useful comments, and in particular to Dwayne Benjamin and Benoît Delage. The authors are particularly grateful to two anonymous referees. The views and opinions expressed herein are not purported to be those of Industry Canada or the Government of Canada. Email: Guy.Lacroix@ecn.ulaval.ca
1540-5982/asset/CAJE_left.gif?v=1&s=1c1b563f11cf6c2fb5c6ced3bf20bc7f0aadead2)
Assessing the impact of a wage subsidy for single parents on social assistance
Article first published online: 18 NOV 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5982.2011.01672.x
© Canadian Economics Association
Issue
Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique
Volume 44, Issue 4, pages 1195–1221, November / novembre 2011
Additional Information
How to Cite
Lacroix, G. and Brouillette, D. (2011), Assessing the impact of a wage subsidy for single parents on social assistance. Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, 44: 1195–1221. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-5982.2011.01672.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 18 NOV 2011
- Article first published online: 18 NOV 2011
- Abstract
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Abstract This paper studies the impact of a wage subsidy program aimed at long-term social assistance recipients in Quebec. The program closely mimics the Self-Sufficiency Project and was implemented for a trial period of one year in 2002.We focus on the labour market transitions of the targeted population starting one year before the implementation of the program and until the end of 2005. Our results show that the duration of spells off social assistance increased, while the duration of social assistance spells decreased slightly. The response to the program varies considerably with both observed and unobserved characteristics.
Ce texte étudie l’impact d’un programme de subvention salariale visant les bénéficiaires d’aide sociale de longue durée au Québec. Le programme ressemble grandement au Projet de l’autosuffisance et a été mis en place pour une période d’essai d’un an en 2002. On se concentre sur les transitions sur le marché du travail de la population cible pour la période qui va d’un an avant la mise en place du programme jusqu’à la fin de 2005. Les résultats montrent que la durée des périodes hors de l’aide sociale a augmenté et que la durée de périodes où l’aide sociale est collectée a diminué légèrement. La réponse au programme varie grandement selon les caractéristiques observables et non-observables.