Poverty risk of the unemployed in six European countries: why is it higher in some countries than in others?

Figures & data

Table 1. Poverty rates by country, 2013.

	BE	DE	ES	SE	SK	UK
Poverty rates (percent):
All	15.3	16.0	21.7	14.8	12.5	16.6
Unemployed	43.2	70.4	47.4	40.2	48.6	56.9
Base household (estimated)	23.8	33.9	36.1	22.4	30.8	36.6
Effect of a change to… on poverty risk of base household (pc. points)
Single	2.1	9.4	17.7	26.6	8.4	29.3
Single Parent	18.9	−4.3	18.2	13.5	12.7	−3.5
≤ 29 years	−1.2	8.9	1.2	2.1	−6.9	−7.4
>49 years	0.2	−2.8	−8.4	−12.2	−3.1	−9.5
High qual.	−6.9	−8.9	−13.5	−0.9	−2.3	−1.8
Low work intensity	33.8	39.9	35.6	31.8	63.5	31.7

Note: Baseline household of a low qualified unemployed aged between 30 and 49 years living in a household with two or more adults and with a high work-intensity.

Source: Own calculation based on EU-SILC 2014

Table 2. Decomposition of cross-country poverty rate-differences.

Countries	P.-rate difference	Difference due to poverty function	Difference due to population structure
BE/DE	−0.30	−0.20	−0.10
BE/ES	−0.07	−0.09	0.02
BE/SE	0.03	−0.03	0.06
BE/SK	−0.05	−0.22	0.17
BE/UK	−0.18	−0.18	0.00
DE/BE	0.30	0.20	0.10
DE/ES	0.23	0.09	0.14
DE/SE	0.33	0.16	0.17
DE/SK	0.24	−0.09	0.34
DE/UK	0.12	0.02	0.09
ES/BE	0.07	0.09	−0.02
ES/DE	−0.23	−0.09	−0.14
ES/SE	0.10	0.09	0.02
ES/SK	0.02	−0.12	0.14
ES/UK	−0.11	−0.06	−0.06
SE/BE	−0.03	0.03	−0.06
SE/DE	−0.33	−0.16	−0.17
SE/ES	−0.10	−0.09	−0.02
SE/SK	−0.09	−0.17	0.09
SE/UK	−0.22	−0.15	−0.07
SK/BE	0.05	0.22	−0.17
SK/DE	−0.24	0.09	−0.34
SK/ES	−0.02	0.12	−0.14
SK/SE	0.09	0.17	−0.09
SK/UK	−0.13	0.04	−0.17
UK/BE	0.18	0.18	−0.00
UK/DE	−0.12	−0.02	−0.09
UK/ES	0.11	0.06	0.06
UK/SE	0.22	0.15	0.07
UK/SK	0.13	−0.04	0.17

Source: Own calculation based on EU-SILC 2014

Figure A1. Quantile–quantile-plots for equivalent disposable income of the unemployed.

Source: Own calculation based on EU-SILC 2014

Table A1. Estimates of SM-distribution parameters by country.

	BE	DE	ES	SE	SK	UK
a	5.2	5.5	2	3.1	2.3	4.2
std. error	.41	.42	.071	.23	.12	.34
b	12418	8554	13180	20349	7116	10458
std. error	584	216	1173	1461	1285	574
q	.67	.58	2.1	1.3	2.6	.72
std. error	.095	.06	.25	.18	.73	.1
Observations	676	847	4175	358	888	486
Clusters	631	775	3236	325	699	440

Source: Own calculation based on EU-SILC 2014

Table A2. Individual and household characteristics of the unemployed (per cent).

	BE	DE	ES	SE	SK	UK
Single	27	45	8	20	5	21
Single Parent	10	9	3	9	1	8
Couple w/o children	29	26	42	28	44	37
Couple w/children	34	20	47	43	50	34
Female	52	48	50	48	51	36
Age ≤29 years	28	16	22	36	33	47
Age >29 years & ≤49 years	47	45	56	41	43	36
Age>49 years	25	40	21	23	24	17
Low qualified	39	31	58	28	21	51
Medium qualified	41	59	20	53	69	30
High qualified	20	11	22	19	10	19
Low work-intensity	56	78	50	42	36	60

Note: Shares in per cent. Source: Own calculation based on EU-SILC 2014

Table A3. Estimates of distribution parameters by country.

Variables	BE	DE	ES	SE	SK	UK
Parameter a
Single	.5057	2.107	.04108	.2202	.6567	1.311
Single Parent	3.01	.9628	.626	.8965	.7847	2.057
Couple	−.4386	.02105	.3483	.7436	.3944	−.51
Age ≤ 29 years	.8567	1.032	.2456	.1787	1.07	1.066
Age > 29 & ≤49 years	1.355	1.159	.325	.3368	.1521	1.285
Age > 49 years	.8655	.8998	.4448	1.345	.6142	.5071
Low Qualified	−.1606	−.4194	.1675	−.1183	.4993	.9269
Low Work Intensity	−.916	−.5788	−.6577	−1.29	−.3815	−1.326
Const.	4.077	4.091	2.015	2.86	2.836	3.857
Parameter b
Single	1453	143.2	1822	857.7	290.6	−184.2
Single Parent	−382	3405	605.8	483.7	1155	1776
Couple	3356	1718	3103	6645	893.3	2548
Age ≤ 29 years	2222	1240	1853	1985	384.3	1778
Age > 29 & ≤49 years	662	1983	1535	4003	1266	315.7
Age > 49 years	1543	2042	2143	1999	688.6	2045
Low Qualified	560.3	368.3	−1393	2501	−193.3	1029
Low Work Intensity	352.8	−3228	−3095	3025	−3324	−16.76
Const.	12620	9362	9627	16179	4387	8235
Parameter q
Single	−.1869	−.3476	.3015	.2405	−.5676	−.01348
Single Parent.	−.1019	.4178	.08553	−.3316	1.887	−.1476
Couple	.08632	−.2151	−.09567	.1719	−.6325	.09344
Age ≤ 29 years	.03035	.03453	.278	.07027	−.2222	.03086
Age > 29 & ≤49 years	−.167	−.03995	.1408	.5869	.7585	−.08997
Age > 49 years	−.06588	−.1394	−.1274	−.5764	.151	−.008578
Low Qualified	.4543	.3318	.6239	.6767	.4021	.168
Low Work Intensity	1.992	.3084	.5866	2.284	−.08667	.9434
Const.	.7975	.8551	1.291	1.081	1.687	.4323

Source: Own calculation based on EU-SILC 2014