The effect of unemployment insurance on the safety net and infant health in the USA

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of Unemployment Insurance temporary cash transfer payments on birth outcomes in the United States. Using natality data for the years 1970-2019 and implementing a triple-difference strategy, we find that the programme has sizeable and significant effects on the health outcomes of new-borns, including birth weight, gestational age, and Apgar score. Moreover, we show that these effects are more pronounced among black mothers, low-educated mothers, and unmarried mothers.