While it is not possible to identify the nature of the indirect mechanisms at work, the empirical results in Table 6d show a negative link between the level of short-term net unemployment benefits and the impact of individual socio-economic background on student performance, while the level of long-term net unemployment benefits has an opposite link. Long-term unemployment benefit dependency may also be associated with social stigma, in turn harming children’s cognitive development. This result is consistent with the findings of child development studies relating parent welfare dependency to children’s outcomes (Corak and Heisz, 1999, Corak et al, 2004).