The Pennsylvania Reemployment Bonus Demonstration

Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. compiled the Pennsylvania Reemployment Bonus Demonstration public use data (1988-1989) to test the effectiveness of different bonus amounts in accelerating reemployment and reducing benefits received by unemployment insurance recipients.

UI claimants were selected for the demonstration between July 1988 and October 1989, and eligible claimants were randomly assigned to one of six treatment groups or the control group. Reemployment bonuses of differing amounts were available to claimants in the treatment groups if specified employment qualifications were met.

The public use data consist of two files. The records file contains administrative data for each individual in the demonstration from the participant tracking system and data for selected ineligible claimants from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. These data include:

• Base year employment characteristics
• Wage history
• Unemployment benefits received
• Selection date
• Treatment group assignment, and other demonstration variables

The second file contains interview data from a sample of demonstration participants and ineligible claimants. These data include:

• Demographics
• Pre-layoff employment
• Job search activities
• Employment service program participation
• Post-layoff employment

The survey file also contains some administrative data from the records file. Both files are provided as part of the public use data. The records file contains 17,513 observations and 189 variables, and the survey file contains 5,678 observations and 641 variables.