Research Interests
Primary Field: Labor Economics and Applied Econometrics
Secondary Field: Public Policy, Industrial Organization, Macroeconomics, Economics of Science and Engineering
Research Papers
Taking advantage of panel data for Britain and Germany, this study examines the occupational mobility of workers between occupations that vary in the intensity of routine tasks. I show strong evidence of selection on ability in occupational mobility out of routine occupations. This occupational mobility has resulted in faster future wage growth, relative to those who stayed in the routine occupations. Institutional differences between Britain and Germany make the comparison of these two countries especially interesting.
"Is it who you are or where you work? A Cross-national Comparison of the Probability of Involuntary Job Loss"
(Draft Available Upon Request)
This paper makes use of detailed micro-level longitudinal data from four countries, including Britain, Germany, Korea and Switzerland, to construct an index of worker’s unobservable ability by estimating the hedonic wage equation, and evaluate how the probability of job loss related to worker’s ability. In Britain, Korea and Switzerland the union sector contributes almost all the effect. Because of the overall strong labor market institution, Germany does not show such distinction between unionized and non-unionized sectors.
"A Comparative Analysis of the Impact of Job Displacement" with Kenneth Couch (Draft Available Upon Request)
This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the experiences of workers who are displaced from their jobs and their families across different countries by using detailed longitudinal data. We discover, as other free-standing studies of individual countries have found, that long-term earnings losses appear to be similar across countries. German households are particularly adaptive to job displacement, while both German and Korean governments appear to be more responsive. British individuals and households show the worst outcomes from job displacement.
Work in Progress
"IT Investment and the Firm Size", with Erik Brynjolfsson
“Impact of Software on U.S. Labor”, with Richard Freeman
"How Do High Skilled Immigrants Affect the Domestic Labor Market", with Richard Freeman
“Union Status and Wage Distribution”, with Richard Freeman
"A Comparative Analysis of Job Loss on Worker’s Health Status", with Kenneth Couch