Jeffrey B. Wenger
Senior Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation
Areas of Expertise:
Connect with Jeffrey
About Jeffrey
Wenger conducts research on the role of social policy in the U.S. labor market. He focuses his academic research on two areas: 1) unemployment insurance and 2) retirement savings and investments. Wenger’s unemployment insurance research investigates whether unemployment insurance finances alter benefit generosity, and the effect of the bureaucracy on benefit receipt. He has consulted with a number of state-level departments of labor, the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, the House Ways and Means committee, and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee on unemployment insurance policy.
Contributions
Why State Unemployment Insurance is Broken – Can We Fix It?
Basic Facts Brief,
In the News
Jeffrey B. Wenger quoted on veteran unemployment by Connor D. Wolf, "The Veteran Unemployment Rate Dropped to Lowest Level in 20 Years in 2017" Task & Purpose, March 26, 2018.
Jeffrey B. Wenger quoted on veteran unemployment by Connor D. Wolf, "How Veterans are Doing in the Workforce" Inside Sources, March 25, 2018.
Jeffrey B. Wenger quoted on the cost and benefits of raising the minimum wage by Brian Watt, "New Report Puts More Momentum behind LA Minimum Wage Hike" Southern California Public Radio, April 30, 2015.
"Taking the Brunt of a Souring Job Market," Jeffrey B. Wenger, The Takeaway, Public Radio International and WNYC, December 4, 2008.
"Our System to Aid Unemployed Needs Fixing," Jeffrey B. Wenger, San Diego Union-Tribune, December 27, 2002.
"Unemployment Insurance Systems Could Falter as Joblessness Spreads," Jeffrey B. Wenger, Houston Chronicle, November 3, 2001.
Publications
"When Claimant Characteristics and Prior Performance Predict Bureaucratic Error" (with ). The American Review of Public Administration (forthcoming).
Examines the role of race, sex, and age on the administration of the unemployment insurance program.
"Easy Money or Hard Times? Health and 401(k) Loans" (with ). Contemporary Economic Policy 30, no. 1 (2012): 29-42.
Examines the conditions leading to loans against retirement savings.
"Trading Speed for Accuracy? Managing Goal Conflict and Accommodation in the U.S. Unemployment Insurance Program" (with ). Policy Studies Journal 36, no. 2 (2008): 175-198.
Investigates tradeoffs in Unemployment Insurance administration between speed of claims processing and errors.
"In the Policy Nexus: Unemployment Insurance Eligibility before and after Welfare Reform" (with ). Journal of Poverty 10, no. 3 (2006): 1-24.
Evaluates whether former welfare recipients earn enough to qualify for unemployment insurance.
"Asynchronous Risk: Equity, Labor Markets and Retirement Savings" (with ). Journal of Pension Economics and Finance 5, no. 3 (2006): 237-255.
Investigates the effect investment timing when unemployment and equities returns are inter-related.
"Why Triggers Fail (and What to Do about It): An Analysis of the Unemployment Insurance Extended Benefit Program" (with ). Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 25, no. 3 (2006): 553-576.
Analyzes the role of automatic benefit extensions for Unemployment Insurance and proposes a fix for the current malfunctioning system.