In this paper, I document that workers in larger cities have significantly more occupational options than smaller ones. They are able to form better matches and earn higher wages. also note differences occupation reallocation patterns across cities. develop a dynamic model of choice microfounds agglomeration economies captures the empirical patterns. The calibration suggests match quality accou...

I study how the relative efficiency of high- and low-skill labor varies across countries. Using microdata for countries at different stages development, document that differences in quantities wages are consistent with high-skill workers being relatively more productive rich exploit variation skill premia foreign-educated migrants to discriminate between two possible drivers this pattern: cross...

Online professional networking platforms are widely used and may help workers to search for obtain jobs. We run the first randomized evaluation of training work seekers join use one largest platforms, LinkedIn. Training increases end-of-program employment rate by 10 percent (7 percentage points), this effect persists at least 12 months. The available employment, platform use, job data suggest t...

Human Capital Externalities with Monopsonistic Competition This paper provides a novel microeconomic foundation for pecuniary human capital externalities in a labor market model of monopsonistic competition. Multiple equilibria arise because of a strategic complementarity in investment decisions. JEL Classification: D43, J24

We investigate the wage return to studying economics by leveraging a policy that prevented students with low introductory grades from declaring major. Students who barely met grade point average threshold major in earned $22,000 (46 percent) higher annual early-career wages than they would have their second-choice majors. Access shifts students' preferences toward business/finance careers, and ...

A childhood intervention to improve the social skills and self-control of at-risk kindergarten boys in 1980s had positive impacts over life course: higher trust as adolescents; increased group membership, education, reduced criminality young adults; marriage employment adults. Using administrative data, we find this average yearly income by about 20 percent decreased transfers almost 40 percent...

We show that children who are born at or just before the weekend less likely to be breastfed, owing poorer breastfeeding support services in hospitals weekends. use this variation estimate effect of on children's development first seven years life, for a sample births low-educated mothers. find large effects cognitive but no health noncognitive during period childhood we consider. Regarding mec...

Goldin (2014) offers a narrative in which gender differences home production responsibilities create gaps labor market outcomes. We carry out model-based quantitative assessment of this and find that it can account for significant share occupational choice, wages, hours. Our analysis emphasizes the significance two key elements not highlighted by Goldin: heterogeneity comparative advantage mult...

Corrupt government hiring is common in developing countries. This paper uses original data to document the operation and consequences of corrupt a health bureaucracy. Hires pay bribes averaging 17 months salary, but contrary conventional wisdom, their observable quality comparable counterfactual merit-based hires. Exploiting variation across jobs, I show that allocations depend on correlation b...

The nullification of slave wealth after the US Civil War (1861–1865) was one largest episodes compression in history. We document that White Southern households owned more slaves 1860 lost substantially by 1870, relative to had been equally wealthy before war. Yet, their sons almost entirely recovered from this shock 1900, and grandsons completely converged 1940. Marriage networks connections o...