Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Exploration Of Degrowth: Reimagining The Economy In The Face Of Climate Change, Nicole K. Martinez-Bergman

University Honors Theses

Climate change is an issue of great magnitude facing the world, and communities are already feeling its effects, especially the most vulnerable. As the planet warms, it threatens to upend global ecosystems, from the oceans to the forests to the earth’s atmosphere. Furthermore, the strains climate change places on the earth are a threat to global economic systems as erratic weather damages cities and creates an increasingly unstable agricultural system. However, these changes to the climate are due to anthropogenic impacts, meaning humans have caused this issue. This uniquely positions humans to create a structure to slow and eventually reverse …

How Major Tech Firms Used Illegal “No-Poach” Agreements To Control Workers’ Salaries, Matthew Gibson

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

How Major Tech Firms Used Illegal “No-Poach” Agreements To Control Workers’ Salaries, Matthew Gibson

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

Employer Market Power In Silicon Valley, Matthew Gibson

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Adam Smith alleged that employers often secretly combine to reduce labor earnings. This paper examines an important case of such behavior: illegal no-poaching agreements through which information-technology companies agreed not to compete for each other’s workers. Exploiting the plausibly exogenous timing of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation, I estimate the effects of these agreements using a difference-in-difference design. Data from Glassdoor permit the inclusion of rich employer- and job-level controls. On average the no-poaching agreements reduced salaries at colluding firms by 5.6 percent, consistent with considerable employer market power. Stock bonuses and job satisfaction were also negatively affected.

The Long-Run Impacts Of Public Industrial Investment On Local Development And Economic Mobility: Evidence From World War Ii, Andrew Garin, Jonathan Rothbaum

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

This paper studies the long-run effects of government-led construction of manufacturing plants on the regions where they were built and on individuals from those regions. Specifically, we examine publicly financed plants built in dispersed locations outside of major urban centers for security reasons during the United States’ industrial mobilization for World War II. Wartime plant construction had large and persistent impacts on local development, characterized by an expansion of relatively high-wage manufacturing employment throughout the postwar era. These benefits were shared by incumbent residents; we find men born before WWII in counties where plants were built earned $1,200 (in 2020 …

Broadly Shared Local Economic Success Since 2000: New Measures And New Lessons For Communities, Timothy J. Bartik, Brad J. Hershbein, Kathleen Bolter, Kyle Huisman, W.E. Upjohn Institute For Employment Research

Reports

In recent decades, many local labor markets—especially those in former industrial areas—have experienced lagging employment rates, hourly wages, and annual earnings. Even in places that have thrived, disadvantaged racial and ethnic groups and those with less education have often fared poorly, and long-term growth has bypassed many Americans at the middle and bottom of the income distribution. This report examines the relative economic success over the past two decades (prior to the COVID pandemic) of different local labor markets throughout the United States, both for residents overall and for those of different demographic groups. We construct a new, publicly available …

Minimum Wage Increases Reduce Racial Disparities During Hiring, Alec Brandon, Justin E. Holz, Andrew Simon, Haruka Uchida

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Intergenerational Comparison Of Inequality And Standard Of Living, Jillian Cookinham

Honors Theses and Capstones

This paper encompasses how inequality and standard of living have changed intergenerationally. Existing research and a regression analysis examine how income, corporate profits, housing, education, retirement, and health insurance are interconnected in American inequality and standard of living. Data analyzed in the regression includes the period of 1990 to 2021. However, the literature review extends back to 1970. Findings from existing research and regression analysis are used to provide policy recommendations on how the federal government may improve inequality by addressing the housing shortage, revising the tax system, and encouraging automatic enrollment in retirement plans.

Essays On Consumption Dynamics, Shaun M. Gilyard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This dissertation, titled "Essays on Consumption Dynamics," comprises three chapters delving into consumer behavior within the context of household financial management. It sheds light on how consumers navigate their budgets concerning daily expenses, particularly around bill payments, and examines the potential influence of household financial holdings on the redistribution effects of monetary policy.

The first chapter delves into how consumers strategically handle their budgets in proximity to bill payments. Analyzing daily transaction-level data containing detailed expenditure information, it reveals a trend of consumers deferring non-bill expenditures until after bill payments. Spending spikes by 41% - 51% above average on the …

Money Doesn’T Grow On Trees: How Financial Literacy Is Learned And Developed Within American Childhood, Nate Lewis

Soaring: A Journal of Undergraduate Research

Financial literacy refers to the ability to process and utilize economic information to make informed decisions for their wellbeing. Given concerning indicators of financial outcomes within the United States, it is crucial to understand how and when strong financial behavior is developed. Efforts to enhance financial education have explored incorporating financial concepts into children’s literature and games. Yet, research indicates that financial literacy is far more rooted in the habits learned from one’s family, despite the emphasis often placed on schooling and socioeconomic status. It is therefore evident that efforts to promote financial literacy must always involve empowering family members …