TY - JOUR
T1 - A research note on the Brexit referendum and regional unemployment in the UK
T2 - a synthetic control method approach
AU - Papyrakis, Elissaios
AU - Pellegrini, Lorenzo
AU - Tasciotti, Luca
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025, Elissaios Papyrakis, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Luca Tasciotti.
PY - 2025/4/22
Y1 - 2025/4/22
N2 - Purpose: In the 2016 Brexit referendum the electorate decided that the UK would leave the European Union (EU), the first country to do so. The decision to leave the EU was a controversial choice, especially because of the geographical divide over the decision. In some regions, an overwhelming majority voted to stay within the EU, while in others the electorate displayed a marked preference to leave. Design/methodology/approach: We employ the synthetic control method to examine the short-term impacts of the Brexit referendum on unemployment in the 12 UK regions. Findings: Our results show that the impact has been modest and that there is no clear relationship between voting in favour of Brexit and the level of unemployment after the referendum. Originality/value: Our contribution is the first study to estimate the short-term impacts of Brexit on unemployment in the UK regions and is a topical and timely contribution to the debate on the future of the European Union.
AB - Purpose: In the 2016 Brexit referendum the electorate decided that the UK would leave the European Union (EU), the first country to do so. The decision to leave the EU was a controversial choice, especially because of the geographical divide over the decision. In some regions, an overwhelming majority voted to stay within the EU, while in others the electorate displayed a marked preference to leave. Design/methodology/approach: We employ the synthetic control method to examine the short-term impacts of the Brexit referendum on unemployment in the 12 UK regions. Findings: Our results show that the impact has been modest and that there is no clear relationship between voting in favour of Brexit and the level of unemployment after the referendum. Originality/value: Our contribution is the first study to estimate the short-term impacts of Brexit on unemployment in the UK regions and is a topical and timely contribution to the debate on the future of the European Union.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105003825562&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/JES-09-2024-0593
DO - 10.1108/JES-09-2024-0593
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105003825562
SN - 0144-3585
VL - 52
SP - 36
EP - 47
JO - Journal of Economic Studies
JF - Journal of Economic Studies
IS - 9
ER -
