Labor Economics Commons^™

Bearcat Advantage: Year One Evaluation Report, Michelle Miller-Adams, Kevin Hollenbeck, Bridget Timmeney, Kyle Huisman

Reports

No abstract provided.

How College Affordability Has Changed For Different Families, Peter Hinrichs

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

How New Mass Transit Affects Labor Markets: The Honolulu Skyline, Justin Tyndall

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

How Much Can Families Afford To Pay For College?, Peter Hinrichs

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

This paper studies families’ capacity to pay for college in the United States, focusing on changes over time and differences by race and socioeconomic status. I use data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) to document changes over time in the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The results suggest that the EFC has been rising over time, and that this has been driven primarily by families in the upper quartile of the income distribution. I then use data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) to calculate alternative measures …

Almost Last Again? Mississippi's Labor Force Participation Rate: Causes And Solutions, John Martin Fox

Honors Theses

Mississippi is currently ranked second to last in labor force participation rate in the country. This is the latest damning statistic inhibiting the state from growing and becoming a more nationally recognized state with higher economic output. This thesis examines how Mississippi arrived at this bleak labor force participation rate and what is currently ongoing to alleviate it. It also examines some possible proposed solutions to accelerate those efforts. Through extensive research and numerous interviews with officials from public and private sector employees directly dealing with this predicament, this thesis has assembled a thorough and comprehensive picture of how the …

Fdi Spillovers And Wage Gaps In Indonesia, Mohammad Zeqi Yasin, Pyan Putro Surya Amin Muchtar, Nur Arifin

Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking

Our objective is to evaluate the competitiveness of local firms by determining whether the dynamic wage spillover model devised by Tomohara and Takii (2011) consistently captures subsectoral dynamics. We identify two subsectors that are witnessing positive spillovers using the Indonesian firm-level dataset. Nevertheless, our quantitative analysis demonstrates inconsistencies, with competitive subsectors contributing to wage disparities at a higher rate than uncompetitive firms. In other words, wage inequalities between foreign and local firms are not effectively reduced by competitive firms. In order to improve the performance of local firms and enable them to more effectively compete with foreign firms in labor …

How The H-2b Visa Lottery Helped Businesses During Covid, Parag Mahajan

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

“Essential” Migrants: Evidence From The 2020 H-2b Visa Lottery, Parag Mahajan

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

I study how access to foreign-born workers impacts firms and local economics in times of acute crisis. The 2020 H-2B visa lottery randomly gave some U.S. firms the chance to hire low-wage, migrant workers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using administrative data across three government agencies, I find that access to H-2B workers led to decreased business closures, increased revenues, increased payroll, and increased employment in 2020. I also find suggestive evidence that these effects spilled over to non-participant firms within the same county.

Collaborative Research Report: Building Home Care Worker Capacity, Luke Santore, Catherine Ipsen, Stephen Mccall, Jiyeon Kim, Genna M. Mashinchi

Employment

RTC:Rural and PHI researchers examine the rising demand for home-based care and ways to increase the workforce and retain home care workers through worker-supportive policies such as increased wages and healthcare insurance.

Preparing Youth For Careers In Drone Aviation: Evaluating Washington County 4-H Drone Camps, Paul A. Hill, Aubree L. Miller, Katarina J. Aikens

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Drone technology presents growing career opportunities, yet youth access to education in this field remains limited. This study evaluates the Washington County 4-H Drone Camps, which aimed to equip youth in 4^th – 8^th graders with essential knowledge and skills in drone aviation. The Drone Camps focused on competencies such as drone anatomy, FAA regulations, and piloting skills. Evaluation results indicated youth improved in all competency areas after completing the camp. The Washington County 4-H Drone Camps effectively allowed youth to explore drone technologies and prepare them for a possible career pathway.

Essays On Labor And Family Economics, Yutao Wang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation comprises three chapters that investigate the trade-offs between the quantity and quality of children, as well as trade-offs between female labor supply and family formation.

The first chapter investigates how family size shapes child migration in China, where most rural families have at least two children, and nearly 50% of children have migrant parents. We propose a model showing that, conditional on family size, boys and girls are equally likely to migrate with parents to cities. However, in societies with strong son preference, daughters' migration may still be constrained as they tend to have more siblings, and larger …

How Do Workers And Firms Bargain Over Wages?, Sydnee Caldwell, Ingrid Haegele, Jӧrg Heining

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

Bargaining And Inequality In The Labor Market, Sydnee Caldwell, Ingrid Haegele, Jӧrg Heining

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

We use novel surveys of firms and workers, linked to administrative employer-employee data, to study the prevalence and importance of individual bargaining in wage determination. We show that simple survey questions accurately elicit firms’ bargaining strategies. Using the elicited strategies for 772 German firms, we document that the majority of firms are willing to engage in individual wage bargaining. Labor market factors predict firms’ strategies better than firm characteristics. Survey responses from nearly 10,000 full-time workers indicate that most worker-firm interactions begin with the worker rejecting the offer and remaining at the incumbent firm. There is substantial heterogeneity in workers’ …

How Government-Funded Factories Helped A Generation Access The Middle Class, Andrew Garin, Jonathan Rothbaum

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

How Employers Shape The Earnings Gap Between Mothers And Fathers, Rebecca Jack, Daniel Tannenbaum, Brenden Timpe

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Adult Awareness Of Climate Change On Renewable Energy Consumption In The United States, Mohammad Ismayl Al Masud

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

I conduct a survey among college students in Texas to assess their willingness to pay for renewable energy to tackle climate change. An individual with a good level of climate awareness is 9.38% more willing to pay extra for renewable energy. Comparably, people with an excellent level of awareness are 23% more likely to financially favor renewable energy than others, given the willingness to pay those with a good level of awareness. Utilizing the ARDL model, I analyze the national-level data to extrapolate the individual-level results on a macroeconomic level. I find that a 1% increase in awareness level would …

Short-Run Economic Effects Of Michigan's State-Funded Preschool Programs, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Policy Papers

This policy paper estimates the short-run economic effects of the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), Michigan’s state-funded preschool program for 4-year-olds. The paper considers 15year effects on state residents’ per capita incomes due to impacts on employment rates and real wages, as well as cost-savings from free preschool and fiscal benefits due to tax base expansion. These 15-year effects ignore the program’s outcomes for child participants and focus on how the Michigan economy is affected by GSRP’s direct impacts on parents and preschool teachers. The estimates use a regional econometric model of a state’s economy, developed originally to evaluate economic …

Oshtemo Township Housing Plan 2023, Emily Petz, Dakota Mccracken, Gerrit Anderson, Lee Adams, Brian Pittelko

Reports

No abstract provided.

How Even Luxury Housing Can Help Solve The Housing Shortage, Kathleen Bolter

Reports

No abstract provided.

The Parenthood Gap: Firms And Earnings Inequality After Kids, Rebecca Jack, Daniel Tannenbaum, Brenden Timpe

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

We document the dynamics of career paths around parenthood, capturing worker advancement within firms and across firms with differing pay rates. Using a new linkage between administrative data on U.S. workers’ fertility and labor market histories, we show that the parental earnings gap is partly explained by mothers transitioning to lower-paying firms. Firm downgrading is driven by parents who take an extended absence from the labor force. Mothers who move to lower-paying firms see improved job amenities but less generous fringe benefits. The firm’s contribution to the parental earnings gap rises over time and reaches one-third by the child’s 11th …

Tipflation: The Conflagration Of Inflation And Out-Of-Control Tip Requests, Gil Katzman, Lisa N. Cain

ICHRIE Research Reports

This data-supported opinion piece seeks to shed light on the growing phenomenon of tipflation, examine how this influences customers, and suggest alternatives to current tipping practices. To support the concepts highlighted, a simple survey consisting of seven pointed questions were asked of participants to discern their thoughts on current tipping trends. Participants were also asked to disclose their age and whether they had worked in a tipped position previously to determine if these factors influenced responses. Findings reveal that those who worked as tipped employees exercised different practices toward tipping than those who did not. Technological solutions, policy changes, and …

The Feminization Of Deteriorated Labor Force Participation In Egypt: 1990 – 2024, Mennan Gamal Nour El Din

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to explain why female labor force participation deteriorated in quantity and in quality despite the recent rise in female educational attainment levels over the past three decades (1990 – 2024). On the one hand, labor participation declined, whereas on the other hand, female informal employment remains high in Egypt. This thesis dissertation utilizes a qualitative research methodology through both secondary data in the form of descriptive statistics on the phenomenon of female labor force participation as well as primary data in the form of six in-depth expert interviews with experts in the fields of …

The Past, Present, And Future Of Long-Run Local Population Decline, Brian J. Asquith, Evan Mast

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Granting Unemployment Insurance Benefits In Borderline Cases Helps Workers At Low Cost, Jonathan Cohen, Geoffrey C. Schnorr

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Status Perceraian Dan Kebahagiaan Pada Wanita Di Indonesia, Rafa Fayza Afrizal, Salsabila Yori Harmen, Friska Aulia Dewi Andini

Jurnal Ekonomi Kependudukan dan Keluarga

Women’s happiness can be influenced by various factors, including marital status. This study analyzes the relationship between marital status and women's happiness in Indonesia using pooled crossectional data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) wave 4 & 5 in 2007 and 2014. The probit regression method is applied to estimate the impact of marital status on the probability of happiness. Results show that widowed and/or divorced women have significantly lower probabilities of happiness than married women (p-value < 0.01). In addition, the probability of being happy for women who are divorced is higher than those who are widowed (p-value < 0.1). This study also emphasizes that education has an important role in improving women's happiness. The implications of this study suggest the importance of policy interventions to improve access to education for women, particularly for those who are socially and economically vulnerable.

Gig Economy Sebagai Sumber Ekonomi Baru Penduduk Kelas Menengah Di Jakarta, La Ode Ahmad Arafat, Siectio Dicko Pratama, Rizal Rahadiana

Jurnal Ekonomi Kependudukan dan Keluarga

The weakening purchasing power of the middle class in Jakarta due to income stagnation and rising prices has encouraged the search for additional sources of income. The gig economy, which offers flexibility and higher income opportunities, is a potential alternative. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of middle-class workers and gig workers and measure the potential of the gig economy in increasing income. Analysis of the 2023 National Labor Force Survey (Sakernas) shows that 82.42% of Jakarta workers are middle class, the majority of whom have a high school education with an average income of 4.8 million rupiah per …

The Healing Power Of Antitrust, Theodosia Stavroulaki

Northwestern University Law Review

Millions of Americans live in hospital deserts—communities where people lack geographic access to hospitals and primary care physicians. People living in these deserts often miss doctor appointments, delay necessary care, and stop adhering to their treatment. In this way, hospital deserts exacerbate the health disparities plaguing America. This Article demonstrates that hospital deserts are not inevitable but the result of several business strategies—including noncompete agreements and merging with competitors—and antitrust enforcers’ unwillingness to recognize these harmful practices as antitrust violations. To cure the issue of hospital deserts, this Article makes three proposals. First, antitrust enforcers and the courts should expand …

Survey Of The Labor Market For New Ph.D. Hires In Economics 2025-2026, Kashfia Kamal, Mervin Jebaraj, Raja Kali

Labor Market Survey

This year, the survey questionnaire was sent to 478 organizations. Questionnaires were returned by 145 organizations (30.3 percent). Of this year’s responses, 78 (53.8 percent) were from those who responded to the last survey conducted for the 2024-25 academic year. Among the academic institutions responding, the distribution of highest degrees offered was as follows: Ph.D.—43.4 percent; Master’s—11 percent and Bachelor’s—44.8 percent.

The responses are reported for all respondents, and separately for Ph.D. Degree granting institutions and for schools whose highest degree offered is the Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree. Data for the top 30 institutions in the revised National Research Council’s …

Resident Participation Survey, Regional And Economic Planning Services, W.E. Upjohn Institute For Employment Research

Reports

No abstract provided.

Gig Economy And Income Inequality, Utsah Thakur

Student Research

The dramatic expansion of the gig economy in the United States has led to a transition from traditional labor markets to a more flexible structure creating opportunities for alternate income sources. While the gig economy provides more work opportunities for low-skilled workers, there are also concerns about the role that it may play in contributing to income inequality. This research explores the spatio-temporal relationship between the participation of workers in the gig economy and income inequality. The study extracts individual-level data from the IPUMS dataset to compute consistent state-specific measures of participation in the gig economy and income inequality over …