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Welcome!
I'm a research leader at IFAU and professor at Uppsala University (Department of Economics, UCLS).
My research interests include labor economics, program evaluation and health economics.
Publications here. Ongoing research here. CV here.
New working papers
Cederlöf J, G Nilsen and J Vikström (2026), "Unemployment Insurance Duration and Labor Supply: A Registered Report", IFAU Mimeo, available upon requestNew working papers
Abstract: This registered report pre-specifies an analysis of the labor-supply effects of potential benefit duration (PBD) in unemployment insurance (UI). We exploit a reform of the Swedish UI system, implemented in late 2025, that introduced earnings-based eligibility thresholds determining workers’ PBD, thereby creating discontinuous variation that allows us to estimate causal effects using a regression discontinuity design and population-wide administrative data. Before post-reform outcome data become available, we implement the full analysis on pre-reform data as a placebo exercise, conduct power calculations, and document continuity of predetermined covariates and outcomes at the planned cutoffs. We estimate effects on unemployment duration and cumulative labor earnings, and translate the duration effects into elasticities with respect to PBD. Additional analyses examine job finding around benefit exhaustion, extensive-margin effects of UI eligibility, and heterogeneity by baseline PBD.
Rambjer, L, A Uhlendorff and and J Vikström (2026), "Strictness in the Evaluation of Job Search Effort and Employment Outcomes", IFAU Mimeo
Abstract: Unemployed job seekers must comply with job-search requirements to receive unemployment insurance benefits. We exploit quasi-random variation in strictness across central-office caseworkers who review monthly activity reports to estimate the effects of stricter monitoring. Stricter caseworkers increase reported violations and benefit sanctions, leading to persistently higher job-search intensity, shorter unemployment durations, and higher employment rates. We find no evidence of adverse effects on job quality, measured by subsequent earnings and wages in the first job. Employment effects are more persistent among job seekers from low-growth industries and those with weak labor market attachment, suggesting that monitoring can prevent prolonged unemployment.
Recent publications
Recent publications
NEW: Cockx B, Egebark J, Van Hoye G, Videnord E and Vikström J (2026), "Motivating Job Seekers. A Field Experiment", Journal of Public Economics, accepted.
NEW: Athey S, Simon L,, Nordström Skans O, Vikström J and Yakymovych Y (2026), "The Heterogeneous Earnings Impact of Job Loss Across Workers, Establishments, and Markets", American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, conditional accept
NEW: Lundborg P, S James, B Lagerqvist and J Vikström (2026), ``Learning-by-Doing and Productivity Growth among High-Skilled Workers: Evidence from the Treatment of Heart Attacks'', Economic Journal, conditional accept
Vikström, J. (2026), "Evaluating Active Labour Market Policies Using Randomised Control Trials", Nordic Economic Policy Review, 2026, 91--119
Cederlöf J, M Söderström and J Vikström (2026), "What makes a good caseworker?", Journal of European Economic Association, 24(4), August 2026.
Lombardi S, G van den Berg and J Vikström (2025), "Empirical Monte Carlo Evidence on Estimation of Timing-of-Events Models", Econometric Reviews, 44(1), 90.
Cheung M, J Egebark, A Forslund, L Laun, M Rödin and J Vikström (2025), "Does job search assistance reduce unemployment? Experimental evidence on displacement effects and mechanisms", Journal of Labor Economics, 43(1), 47--81.
Recent papers
Recent papers
Khaliliaraghi S, Lundborg P and Vikström (2025), "Gender Gaps in Productivity, Wages, and Promotions: Evidence from a Random Task Allocation Policy" , IFAU Working Paper 2026:7
van Empel G, Avdic D, Khalil U, Kunz J, Lagerqvist B and Vikström J, (2025), ""Radiating influene? Spillover effects among physicians"", Papers 2025-01, Centre for Health Economics, Monash University.
Avdic D, Lagerqvist B, Gutacker N, van Empel G and Vikström J, (2024), "Provider responses to market entry under competing health technologies", mimeo Monash University
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