Alleviating Worker Shortages Through Targeted Subsidies: Evidence from Incentive Payments in Healthcare
研究了一项将医疗补助支付与养老院人员配置挂钩的改革，发现该激励性补贴显著增加了员工数量，尤其是面向低收入岗位的招聘，而非提高现有员工工时或高薪岗位人数。
Abstract Worker shortages are common in many industries. This paper examines the effect of government subsidies to address these shortages in the context of a reform that tied Medicaid payments to nursing home staffing levels. We find that the reform substantially increased staffing, especially for facilities serving many Medicaid patients. Facilities responded primarily by hiring workers in lower-wage roles rather than increasing hours of incumbent or high-wage staff. This contrasts with null effects we estimate for a non-incentivized rate increase, suggesting that the incentive structure of government payments—rather than just the level—is key to boosting employment in sectors facing worker shortages.