The large share of long benefit spells among all ongoing spells by contrast correctly indicates that long-term recipients are responsible for the most significant part of benefit caseloads and thus of the expenditures for benefit payments in a given period (Bane and Ellwood, 1994). As seen, individual benefit spells in Latvia and the Nordic countries tend to be much shorter than in Luxembourg and in the Netherlands. However, benefit leavers might return to benefit receipt more quickly if they do not find a stable source of adequate income after leaving the benefit rolls. This subsection therefore studies the number of benefit spells per individual, and the time until re-entry.