Labor Economics Commons^™

Causal Effects Of Schooling On Memory At Older Ages In Six Low-And-Middle-Income Countries: Nonparametric Evidence With Harmonized Datasets, Vikesh Amin, Jere R. Behrman, Jason M. Fletcher, Carlos A. Flores, Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, Iliana Kohler, Hans-Peter Kohler, Shana D. Stites

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Higher schooling attainment is associated with better cognitive function at older ages, but it remains unclear whether the relationship is causal. We estimate causal effects of schooling on performances on the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) word-recall (memory) test at older ages in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa. We used harmonized data (n=30,896) on older adults (≥50 years) from the World Health Organization Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health. We applied an established nonparametric partialidentification approach that bounds causal effects of increasing schooling attainment at different parts of the schooling distributions under …

Pension Participation Among Different Migrant Groups In China: Job Type, Regional Disparities, And Cross-Provincial Mobility, Boxia Xu

Dissertations

As China undergoes rapid economic transformation and urbanization, the migrant population has grown significantly. Although migrants play essential roles in the labor market, they face persistent structural barriers to pension access. Regional disparities, occupational segmentation, and cross-provincial mobility constraints affect the probability of their pension participation. While policy efforts aim to expand coverage, the fragmented nature of China’s pension system continues to hinder equitable access for migrants. As a result, ensuring pension participation among migrant groups remains a pressing challenge.

Using data from the 2014 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), this dissertation employs logistic regression models to investigate how job …

Chains Of Knowledge: Slavery, Low-Wage Labor, And The Role Of Intellectual Property In Antebellum Georgia (1789 To 1865), Kris Kallies

Journal of the Patent and Trademark Resource Center Association

This article investigates Georgia’s engagement with intellectual property from 1789 to 1865, with an epilogue to 1920, arguing that the state’s economic reliance on unfree labor systems profoundly shaped its approach to technological innovation. Drawing from a newly constructed, state-specific patent database, the study reveals that Georgia’s low patenting rates—examining the areas of in mining and metallurgy, textiles, and the establishment of the Confederate Patent Office during the American Civil War—was not indicative of technological stagnation, but rather evidence of a region where innovation was informal, experiential, and embedded in labor hierarchies. The article advances the argument that the absence …

Menstrual Math: The Price Of Bleeding, Gabrielle Langston

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This project examines the landscape of menstrual equity in the United States through a data storytelling lens, focusing on state-level policies regarding taxation and access to menstrual products. The analysis explores which states impose sales tax on menstrual products, if state schools provide free menstrual products, and which states ensure access for incarcerated individuals using publicly available datasets from advocacy groups. Additionally, there is an investigation into potential correlations between the gender wage gap and states that tax menstrual products, shedding light on economic and policy disparities.

Through its data visualizations, this project aims to provide a clear, although not …

An Assessment Of Youth Perceptions Of Youth Employment Initiatives And Attachment To Community As Determinants Of Migration Decisions Among The Youth In Keta Municipality Of Ghana, Fortune S. Zaglago

Dissertations

Youth migration from rural to urban areas in Ghana, particularly to cities like Accra, Tema, Kumasi, and Takoradi continues to rise, despite ongoing efforts to improve youth employability and reduce urban influx. This study examined the extent to which youth attachment to community and participation in employment initiatives predict migration intentions. Guided by the network, sense of community, neoclassical, and empowerment theories, the research employed a mixed-method correlational design. Data was collected from 249 participants, including 109 youth employment initiative participants, 126 non-participants, and 10 agency staff through surveys, as well as interviews with 4 heads of agencies. Quantitative data …

Do Government Benefit Programs Reduce Child Labor?: Causal Evidence From The Midday Meal Scheme In India, Vardaan Chawla, Tomoki Fujii, Arpita Khanna, Ray Rohan

Research Collection School Of Economics

This study evaluates the impact of the midday meal program in India on the prevalence of child labor for upper primary school going children. The staggered implementation of the largest school feeding program in the world across states provides exogenous variation in exposure. Using the nationally representative National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data, we find that exposure to the program reduced prevalence of child labor by 47 percent relative to children in never-treated states, with no significant difference in impact between boys and girls. The effects were primarily driven by a decline in household labor supply, especially performance of household …

Tulsa Remote’S Benefits For Other Tulsa Residents: Results And Implications, Timothy J. Bartik

Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Tulsa Remote On Inducing Moves To Tulsa: Estimates And Implications, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Technical Reports

Tulsa Remote is one of the largest of over 100 remote worker attraction programs in the United States. Since its beginning in 2018, the program has provided generous incentives ($10,000 for moving to Tulsa and staying one year), along with accompanying networking services and incentives to encourage entrepreneurship, to over 3,000 Tulsa Remote member households, selected out of tens of thousands of applicants. Tulsa Remote’s purpose is to promote economic development in Tulsa. Tulsa Remote members spend more locally and generate fiscal benefits, as well as start up businesses and help make Tulsa more attractive for high-tech job growth. These …

Federal And State Governments Can Help Solve The Employment Problems Of People In Distressed Places To Spur Equitable Growth, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Policy Papers

Places in the United States differ greatly in their residents’ access to jobs, especially good jobs. Although the federal and state governments provide about $80 billion annually to create jobs through multiple programs, these job-creation initiatives are rarely targeted to economically distressed places, where the job-creation benefits for local residents are greatest. Moreover, many of these programs take the form of business tax incentives, which are less effective at job creation than customized services for businesses and workers. I argue that the prime-age employment rate of places should be used to target job-creation programs and review which such programs are …

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

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

How College Affordability Has Changed For Different Families, Peter Hinrichs

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Remote Work On Wages In Nevada’S Labor Force, Lauren Tomlinson, Sean Atias, Renato Salazar, Ezrah Tayag

Undergraduate Research Symposium Podium Presentations

Remote Work Evolution and COVID-19

• In 2019, 7% of full paid workdays were done remotely. During the pandemic, that number substantially grew to 60%, and by 2023 it shrunk down to 28%. Elements of remote work have even spread to multiple industries such as healthcare, finance, and education (Barrero et al., 2023).
• Direct relationship between self-perceived job performance and remote work productivity. However, living with children under 18 negatively impacts remote work engagement and productivity (Toscano & Zappalá, 2021).
• Remote work can be associated with increases in Total Factor Productivity (TFP). Between 2019 and 2021, a 1% increase in the …

Industrial Parks And Domestic Power: Work, Industrialization, And Intimate Partner Violence In Nigeria, Faye X. Dingle

Economics Honors Projects

This paper examines the effect of industrial zone openings on women's employment, relative earnings, and intimate partner violence (IPV) in Nigeria. I exploit variation in the timing of industrial zone openings to use a staggered difference-in-differences model. I compare women near industrial zones to women near not-yet-built industrial zones and capture the effect of the average treatment effect on the treated. I perform this analysis for women within 10, 15, 20, and 25 kilometers of an industrial zone. I find that being within all distances of an industrial zone increases a woman's relative earnings compared to women in non-industrialized zones. …

Essays On Macroeconomics, Krishna Sharma

All Dissertations

The first chapter examines the role of return migration in driving innovation within India’s tech startup ecosystem, using a novel dataset constructed from web scraping of startup profiles, LinkedIn data, and patent databases. By capturing founders’ international experience, education, and innovation outcomes, the analysis reveals that returnees significantly contribute to higher inno- vation levels, particularly through patent filings. Returnee-founded startups exhibit an 18% higher rate of patent filings compared to those led by locals. The study employs OLS, Poisson regression, Coarsened Exact Matching (CEM), and Instrumental Variables (IV) to address selection bias and endogeneity concerns. U.S. immigration policy changes provide …

數繪搵工 : 香港就業市場的大數據系列報告之一, 潘毅, 陳安繁, 金舒衡, 宋鑫淼, 周洋, 錢忠凱

CCRD Research Report

面對中美貿易戰爭時代的經濟格局，深入洞察香港勞動力市場的結構性特徵、最新動態與潛在挑戰，對特區政府制定前瞻性的經濟、產業及社會政策至關重要。本研究旨在通過大數據分析，精準描繪當前香港網上招聘市場的全貌。研究團隊嚴格篩選了十個涵蓋綜合、行業垂直及靈活用工的高流量求職平台，利用網絡爬蟲技術系統性搜集了於2024年12月1日至2025年1月9日期間發佈的147,026條招聘廣告。經數據清洗（剔除重複及無效數據）後，最終納入142,901條有效數據。藉助先進的大型語言模型（Deepseek V3）進行自動化文本挖掘，本研究高效提取並分析了職位屬性、技能要求、薪酬福利等多維度關鍵信息，為揭示市場趨勢奠定了堅實的實證基礎。主要研究發現如下：

一、整體市場格局：傳統主導、需求兩極、透明度堪憂

1. 結構固化，服務業驅動顯著：香港招聘市場需求高度集中於傳統服務業（進出口/批發零售、金融保險、住宿膳食佔逾四成），地域上亦極度聚集於核心商業區。

• 職位供給以全職（逾八成）、初級崗位（佔四成）為主，輔以相當數量的高級職位（逾兩成），呈現「啞鈴型」職級結構。
• 工作內容則由管理與服務類（合計逾六成）主導。這反映了香港既有的服務型經濟結構。

2. 用工市場在技能需求上呈現「實用主義」與「兩極分化」。

• 學歷與經驗要求差異懸殊，既有大量低門檻崗位（近六成無需大專以上學歷），也穩定需求高學歷專才（近三成要求大學或以上）。
• 硬技能方面，基礎數碼能力（近四成需求）已成常態，特定行業重視專業資格；然而，對尖端技術（如AI/大數據，需求不足2%）的吸納明顯滯後。
• 軟技能則高度聚焦於團隊協作、注重細節與主動性等確保執行效率的務實品質，對創造力等需求相對較低。

3. 在工作質量與福利方面呈現「基礎保障為主，但透明度嚴重不足」的特點。雖然五天工作制、月薪及核心福利相對普遍，但大量關鍵信息的缺失限制了求職者對職位「實質質量」的全面評估。

• 工作時間安排：五天工作週雖為市場常態（佔過半數），但大量職位（逾七成）未註明具體工時。同時，對每週少於20小時工作的需求（佔一成）相對顯著，反映市場存在彈性工時空間，惟清晰度與選項不足。
• 薪酬福利：月薪制及基本福利普遍，惟薪酬透明度嚴重不足。月薪制佔主導，年假、醫療、花紅是最常提及的福利。然而，過半數職位未披露具體薪酬水平，是評估工作質量的最大障礙；已披露的薪酬主要集中於中等水平（1.5萬至2.5萬港元）。
• 平等機會聲明：普遍缺位，多元共融意識有待加強。絕大多數（近九成）招聘廣告未包含平等就業機會的聲明，反映相關實踐重視不足。

二、行業聚焦（以進出口貿易、批發及零售業為例）：放大市場特徵與問題

作為勞動力需求大戶，進出口貿易、批發及零售業的招聘特徵印證並放大了整體市場趨勢：

1. 該行業職位更聚焦前線服務與基層，兼職需求更高，深刻反映了其以客戶互動和彈性人手調配為核心的運營模式，職位結構明顯比整體市場更為「向下沉」。

• 服務職能佔絕對主導（48.8%），遠超管理類（25.5%）及市場平均。
• 兼職比例顯著偏高（19.1%），遠超市場平均（13.2%）。
• 職級需求極度偏向初級（54.5%），遠超市場平均（40.7%），高中層需求比例均低於整體。

2. 技能要求更顯著的「低門檻、重實踐」。該行業對求職者的硬技能要求普遍遠低於市場平均水平，更側重吸納能快速投入基礎崗位的人員；軟技能側重點亦有不同。

• 學歷門檻顯著更低（63.8%明確無需特定學歷）。
• 語言要求相對寬鬆，大量職位未明確要求。
• 基礎數碼技能需求偏低（28.8% vs 整體39.7%）。
• 專業資格要求極少（< 5%）。
• 軟技能更強調「熱情」（34.2%），取代了整體市場中對「注意細節」的高度關注。

3. 工作福利與質量：靈活性更高，透明度問題更嚴重。該行業提供了更多彈性選項，但伴隨著更嚴峻的信息不透明，尤其在薪酬結構和平等機會披露方面。

• 工作時間：提供低工時/彈性選項比例更高（2-3天工作合計近20%，< 20小時/週佔11.8%）。
• 薪酬福利：薪酬更集中於中低水平（1萬-2萬）；時薪制更普遍（19.3%）；薪酬月數信息缺失極為嚴重（68.4%未註明）。
• 平等機會披露：透明度極差，高達94.9%未提及平權聲明，劣於市場平均。

基於本研究揭示的香港招聘市場結構性特徵與挑戰，特別是考慮到中美貿易競爭及關稅戰對香港支柱產業（如進出口貿易）構成的直接衝擊，茲向特區政府相關部門提出以下五點核心政策建議：

1. 應對貿易衝擊，加速職業轉型： 為緩解中美關稅戰對相關行業（貿易、物流、部分零售）就業的直接影響，需要強化及調整僱員再培訓局 (ERB) 及職訓局 (VTC) 課程，重點推動受影響員工向具增長潛力的新領域（如綠色經濟、醫療保健、創科輔助崗位）進行技能轉移，並提升培訓津貼；同時，需檢討失業支援，研究設立短期失業專項援助。
2. 檢討與完善靈活就業保障： 因應零工經濟趨勢及兼職比例上升，需全面檢討現行勞工法例對靈活就業者的適用性（尤其工傷、醫保、強積金MPF等方面），並參考國際經驗探索創新的保障模式。
3. 策略性提升未來數碼技能： 儘管當前高端技術需求不高，仍需前瞻性佈局，一方面強化普及數碼素養，另一方面透過資助及課程開發，策略性提升AI、大數據等前沿技術培訓，為經濟長遠轉型及應對外部挑戰儲備人才。
4. 優先提升工時透明度： 針對大量職位未披露工時的普遍問題，建議要求招聘廣告列明預計工作時數範圍；對標準工時立法問題可考慮分階段或分行業推進。
5. 規範招聘信息披露： 解決薪酬、福利等關鍵信息缺失問題，應透過具約束力的守則或法規，要求招聘廣告披露薪金範圍、支付方式、主要福利等，並由勞工處監察執行；同時，鼓勵僱主自願加入平等機會 (DEI) 聲明。

Sexism In Syntax: Language And Its Relationship With Female Leadership, Kyle Rains

Honors Theses

Despite a global trend towards more equal gender representation, not every country has improved at the same pace or to the same level. This study investigates language as a potential tool for better understanding the differences between countries regarding the presence of female managers. By using language as a tool, I arrive at two primary results: (i) pronoun drop is significantly and inversely associated with the presence of female managers, but gendered language structures have little association, and (ii) a gender intensity index can produce misleading results. These results suggest that language structures, such as pronoun drop, which are associated …

Reinforcement Learning, Modeling Markets, And Professional Basketball Free Agency, Jacob Cohn

Computational and Data Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

This dissertation presents a reinforcement learning-based approach to modeling and optimizing decision-making in professional basketball free agency and related economic environments. A Markov Decision Process (MDP) framework is introduced to capture the strategic interactions of NBA teams bidding for free agents under budgetary and roster constraints. To address computational scalability challenges, a reinforcement learning (RL) environment is developed, leveraging Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) to approximate optimal policies for team decision-making.

Empirical results demonstrate that the RL agent successfully learns strategic bidding behavior that aligns with dynamic programming benchmarks in simplified settings while scaling effectively to larger, intractable environments. The study …

Strategic Thinking Skills: A Key To Collective Economic Success, Syngjoo Choi, Seonghoon Kim, Wooyoung Lim

ROSA Journal Articles and Publications

We conduct a large-scale experiment to measure elementary aspects of strategic thinking skills and their linkage to labor market outcomes. Two incentivized measures of higher-order rationality and backward induction are developed. Males' (females') strategic thinking skills are positively (negatively) associated with individual labor income. However, among married individuals, strategic thinking skills are significantly and positively associated with their household labor income regardless of gender, highlighting the importance of strategic thinking skills for collective economic success. We argue that the intrahousehold channels encompassing collective labor supply with home-to-workplace spillover and marriage assortative matching offer the most plausible explanation for our findings.

The Effect Of Employment Shocks On Earnings: Evidence From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Giovanny A. Martinez Rodriguez

Economics Honors Projects

Economic research has documented significant short, medium, and long-term labor market consequences following recessions (Goodman & Mance, 2011; Yagan, 2017; Farber, 2011). The Covid-19 recession triggered an unprecedented economic downturn, disproportionately impacting employment in industries with high concentrations of low-income and female workers. In this paper, I leverage the substantial spatial variation in employment shocks to examine their effects on earnings and employment outcomes in both the short and medium terms. I find remarkably stable trends in earnings and employment when comparing counties experiencing high employment shocks with those that did not. Although these results differ from previous recessions, they …

Do Older Workers Change Their Labor Supply In Response To Housing Wealth Shocks?, Brian J. Asquith

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Do older workers change their labor supply in response to unexpected housing wealth losses (or gains)? Housing wealth is the largest component in most older Americans’ portfolios, and they may seek to recoup losses by working longer to help smooth consumption in retirement. Despite its importance, prior studies have not arrived at a consensus answer. I perform three different analyses to re-approach this question using Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data: a descriptive analysis, two separate differences-in-differences-indifferences analyses exploiting the China Shock and the Great Recession, and an analysis employing autoregressive models for estimating unexpected shocks to housing price appreciation. …