Abstract: Through constructing a model of unemployment insurance participation rate and benefit rate and making use of the macro panel data from 2000 to 2016, this paper studies the coverage of China’s unemployment insurance. The findings show that the participation rate and the benefit rate of the unemployment insurance in China are both very low. The reasons for the low participation rate and benefit rate of unemployment insurance include the lower participation rate of high unemployment risk groups, the higher participation rate of low unemployment risk groups, and the higher payment terms for unemployment insurance benefits. It is suggested that we should expand the coverage of unemployment insurance for migrant workers, flexible employees, and lower-income workers, optimize the design of unemployment insurance system, improve the unemployment insurance floating rate system, and lower the terms to pay unemployment insurance benefits.

Key words: overall implementation of the nationwide insurance program; the coverage of the unemployment insurance; insured rate; benefit rate