U.S. workers get fewer months of unemployment benefits than workers in other developed countries: Months of maximum potential benefit duration (PBD) of UI benefits in select OECD countries, 2019
| Country | Max potential benefit duration, months |
|---|---|
| Iceland | 30 |
| Denmark | 24 |
| France | 24 |
| Italy | 24 |
| Netherlands | 24 |
| Norway | 24 |
| Portugal | 24 |
| Spain | 24 |
| Finland | 18.5 |
| Switzerland | 18.4 |
| Sweden | 13.8 |
| Estonia | 12 |
| Germany | 12 |
| Greece | 12 |
| Luxembourg | 12 |
| Canada | 10.4 |
| Turkey | 10 |
| Austria | 9 |
| Ireland | 9 |
| Japan | 9 |
| Lithuania | 9 |
| Slovenia | 9 |
| Latvia | 8 |
| Israel | 6.4 |
| United Kingdom | 6 |
| United States | 5.9 |
Note: The original OECD chart compared Michigan with the selected countries. This analysis replaced Michigan with the U.S. national median maximum potential benefit duration of 5.9 months. Canadian data reflect UI PBDs in the province of Ontario.
Source: Authors' analysis of OECD 2021 data.