The EITC and Employment Transitions: Labor Force Attachment, Annual Exit, and the Role of Information

51 Pages Posted: 24 May 2017 Last revised: 21 Sep 2018

Date Written: July 3, 2018

Abstract

Many low-income households experience high frequency labor market transitions. It is unclear how the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) work incentives affect these frequent entry and exit decisions. Exploiting the panel nature of the Current Population Survey, I show that EITC expansions induce less-educated single women with previous work experience to work more months, leading to more annual weeks worked and less annual exit, suggesting the EITC operates in part by keeping previously employed single women in the labor force. Employment responds to changes in the previous year's EITC, consistent with people responding to information about the returns to work.

Keywords: EITC, Single Women, Labor Supply, Turnover, Information

JEL Classification: H24, H31, J22, J63

Suggested Citation

Wilson, Riley, The EITC and Employment Transitions: Labor Force Attachment, Annual Exit, and the Role of Information (July 3, 2018). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2972202 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2972202

Riley Wilson (Contact Author)

Brigham Young University ( email )

Provo, UT 84602
United States

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