Evaluating Pooled Evidence from the Reemployment Bonus Experiments

Social experiments conducted in Pennsylvania and Washington tested the effect of offering Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants a cash bonus for rapid reemployment. This paper combines data from the two experiments and uses a consistent framework to evaluate the experiments and determine with greater certainty the extent to which a reemployment bonus can affect economic outcomes. Bonus offers in each of the experiments generated statistically significant but relatively modest reductions in UI receipt. Since the estimated impacts on UI receipt were modest, the reemployment bonuses did not generate the UI savings necessary to pay for administering and paying the bonuses. Hence, contrary to earlier findings from a bonus experiment conducted in Illinois, findings from the Pennsylvania and Washington experiments strongly suggest that a reemployment bonus is not a cost-effective method of speeding the reemployment of UI claimants.unemployment, insurance, bonus, experiments, O'Leary, Decker

An Algebraic Framework for the Real-Time Solution of Inverse Problems on Embedded Systems

This article presents a new approach to the real-time solution of inverse problems on embedded systems. The class of problems addressed corresponds to ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with generalized linear constraints, whereby the data from an array of sensors forms the forcing function. The solution of the equation is formulated as a least squares (LS) problem with linear constraints. The LS approach makes the method suitable for the explicit solution of inverse problems where the forcing function is perturbed by noise. The algebraic computation is partitioned into a initial preparatory step, which precomputes the matrices required for the run-time computation; and the cyclic run-time computation, which is repeated with each acquisition of sensor data. The cyclic computation consists of a single matrix-vector multiplication, in this manner computation complexity is known a-priori, fulfilling the definition of a real-time computation. Numerical testing of the new method is presented on perturbed as well as unperturbed problems; the results are compared with known analytic solutions and solutions acquired from state-of-the-art implicit solvers. The solution is implemented with model based design and uses only fundamental linear algebra; consequently, this approach supports automatic code generation for deployment on embedded systems. The targeting concept was tested via software- and processor-in-the-loop verification on two systems with different processor architectures. Finally, the method was tested on a laboratory prototype with real measurement data for the monitoring of flexible structures. The problem solved is: the real-time overconstrained reconstruction of a curve from measured gradients. Such systems are commonly encountered in the monitoring of structures and/or ground subsidence.Comment: 24 pages, journal articl

Masks and Matter:Mining Masculinities in the South Wales Coalfield, 1870-1914

Astudiaeth o hunaniaethau dynion mewn cymunedau glofaol sy'n tynnu ar waith anthropolegol i ddeall seiliau materol gwrywdod a'u mynegiant diwylliannol

Evaluation of a Higher Education institute’s Quality Framework performance during COVID-19

[EN] COVID-19 provided a challenge to the continuing high quality operation of higher education. Quality frameworks, which were created long before national lockdowns or social distancing were tested in a manner that had not been foreseen on their creation. This work examines the performance of the framework in our institute to see if it was sufficiently robust to offer our students a quality education experience and to reassure the public in terms of the standard of our graduates. Engagement with the student body is described in detail from decision-making to evaluation at the end of the academic year of their experience on their programme of study.O'leary, P.; O'byrne, D. (2021). Evaluation of a Higher Education institute’s Quality Framework performance during COVID-19. En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 317-324. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.13130OCS31732

Cost-Effectiveness of Targeted Reemployment Bonuses

Targeting reemployment bonus offers to unemployment insurance (UI) claimants identified as most likely to exhaust benefits is estimated to reduce benefit payments. While earlier research indicated that non-targeted reemployment bonus offers would not be good public policy, in this paper we show that targeting bonus offers with profiling models similar to those in state Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services (WPRS) systems can improve their cost effectiveness. Since estimated average benefit payments do not steadily decline as the eligibility screen is gradually tightened, we find that narrow targeting is not optimal. The best candidate to emerge for a targeted reemployment bonus is a low bonus amount with a long qualification period, targeted to the half of profiled claimants most likely to exhaust their UI benefit entitlement.reemployment, bonus, UI, personal, accounts, PRA, unemployment, insurance, Upjohn, Institute, O'Leary, Decker, Wandner