Fear of Unemployment: Cross-Country Comparisons

In: Voprosy ėkonomiki: ežemesjačnyj žurnal, Heft 2, S. 117-138

Abstract

The paper is based on representative population surveys conducted in various countries of Europe, Asia and North America and discusses cross-country variation in populations subjective perceptions of risk of unemployment. This risk is measured by directly asking respondents whether they fear losing their job and to what degree. The paper shows that the strength of the fear varies significantly across countries in the sample as well as across various subgroups of population within the countries. Higher unemployment strengthens the fear but country-specific behavioral reactions induced by the fear may differ. Population in the "old" capitalist countries seems to react differently than in the transition countries while in the former case the Anglo-Saxon and the Scandinavian countries also demonstrate different patterns.