Crime, unemployment and labor market programs in turbulent times

Arbeitspapier

We exploit the exceptional variation in municipality-level unemployment and spending on labor market programs in Sweden during the 1990s to identify the impact of unemployment and programs on crime. We identify a statistically significant effect of unemployment on the incidence of overall crime, burglary, auto-theft and drug possession. A calculation suggests that the sharp reduction in unemployment during the later 1990s may have reduced burglary and auto-theft with 15 and 20 percent, respectively. After addressing several specification issues, we conclude that there is at best weak evidence that labor market programs – general ones and those specifically targeted to the young – help to reduce crime.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Working Paper ; No. 2003:14

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Labor and Demographic Economics: General ; Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior: General
• Subject: Crime ; unemployment ; labor market programs ; panel data

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Nilsson, Anna ; Agell, Jonas
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for Labour Market Policy Evaluation (IFAU)
• (where): Uppsala
• (when): 2003

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/82199
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET