On April 18th, Danny Yagan testified to the Senate Budget Committee. Yagan explained 2 simple ways the wealthy evade taxes, and advocated for raising effective tax rates on the rich through a minimum income tax to increase federal revenues. Watch the full hearing here, or read the testimony.
Mathilde Muñoz in Le Monde
An article from LeMonde highlights the journey of new affiliate Mathilde Muñoz to Berkeley’s economics department, and how her background influences her research. Read more here.
Ziad Obermeyer in NEJM's "Not Otherwise Specified" Podcast
In a recent episode of “Not Otherwise Specified,” a podcast hosted by the New England Journal of Medicine, Ziad Obermeyer explains how machine-learning techniques can aid in establishing a diagnosis and can be a beneficial tool for predictive medicine. Listen to the episode here.
David Card lectures at Emory University
“Minimum wage is one of these super polarizing issues, and with more polarization, it’s become a super symbolic issue.” A recent article in The Emory Wheel recaps David Card’s public talk at Emory University. Read more here.
Michael Reich in Berkeley News
“A minimum wage increase doesn’t kill jobs,” says Michael Reich. A new article from Berkeley News highlights a recent working paper by Reich and coauthors at IRLE on the impact of minimum wage laws on small businesses, which finds that higher wages eases employee recruitment and retention. Read the news piece here, and check out the full working paper.
Conrad Miller on Job Suburbanization & Black Employment
In a National Bureau of Economic Research video feature, Conrad Miller breaks down his paper at the intersection of racial equity, labor, and geography: “When Work Moves: Suburbanization and Black Employment.” Miller finds that highway construction resulted in job suburbanization, increasing the employment gap between black and white workers. Watch the video here.
Ziad Obermeyer on "Me, Myself, and AI"
In a recent episode of “Me, Myself, and AI,” a podcast from MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Ziad Obermeyer discusses his research on algorithmic bias and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in predictive analytics in health care. Listen to the episode here.
Emmanuel Saez on State Wealth Taxes
In lieu of a federal wealth tax, state lawmakers in California, New York, and Washington have proposed legislation to tax billionaires on a state level. A recent article from the Washington Post explores these efforts, featuring commentary from Emmaneul Saez, who was enlisted by legislators to help draft the new policies. Check out the full article.
Hilary Hoynes in VoxEU
How does losing access to nutritional support impact families? A VoxEU column highlights research from O-Lab Faculty Director Hilary Hoynes and coauthors on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Researchers find that after losing access to the program, adult women consume less to shield children from nutritional losses. Read the article here.
Enrico Moretti on Tech Hubs
MIT’s Sloan School of Management recently highlighted a new working paper from Enrico Moretti and coauthors that examines the balance between local productivity and local costs in research and development, and finds that the productivity gains from a density of scientific talent generally outweigh the additional costs. Still, their findings suggest that cities with exceptionally high talent density have labor and real estate costs that dwarf gains. Learn more about the study.
Michael Reich on State Minimum Wage Increases
In CNN, Michael Reich discusses recent state minimum wage increases in the context of existing high inflation, suggesting that recent minimum wage increases will not necessarily result in dramatic increases in prices and labor costs in low-wage sectors. Read more here.
Hilary Hoynes and Reed Walker on the Future of Family
Hilary Hoynes and Reed Walker were recently cited in a New York Times op-ed by Paul Krugman on the importance of the Biden administration’s new support for child care and education. Among the cited work was Hoynes’ research on SNAP benefits and other safety net investments in children.
Sol Hsiang on The Economic Damages of Climate Change
Sol Hsiang’s research at the Climate Impact Lab was featured in the New York Times Magazine cover story this September. The data suggests that the impacts of climate change on the poorest Southern counties could lead to economic damages greater than a third of their total GDP. The article explores the mass migrations that such damages could invoke.
Take a look at the full article here!
Jesse Rothstein on Why Cal is America's Top College
Jesse Rothstein recently authored an opinion piece in the SF Examiner based on Forbes’ latest college rankings, in which UC Berkeley did much better than usual. According to Rothstein, “public colleges and universities are our key economic engine for upward mobility” because they make higher education much more accessible to low-income students. Read more here.
Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman in the Financial Times
How will raising interest rates affect inequality and economic mobility for low-income families? In a new Financial Times analysis, Gillian Tett highlights recent work from Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman in analyzing how Fed policy may undo some of the gains from the COVID-19 economic recovery. Read the article here.
Hilary Hoynes in Equitable Growth
Each piece of legislation considered by the US Congress receives a score from the Congressional Budget Office, which estimates the cost of the legislation within a ten year budget window. However, this approach neglects the long-term benefits of income support and social safety net programs, writes Hilary Hoynes in a new piece for Equitable Growth. Read the full article.
Meredith Fowlie on the Cost of Electricity in California
Research from Meredith Fowlie & coauthors at the Energy Institute at Haas is the centerpiece of a Washington Post analysis on the cost of electricity in California. The article describes how California’s electricity tariffs add about $600 to the annual running cost of an electric vehicle in California, on average. Read the article here.
David Card in Bloomberg Línea
During a recent visit to Brazil, David Card spoke with Bloomberg about the potential for a US recession, anticipating a labor market slowdown as companies start selling fewer products. Read the full piece here.
Hilary Hoynes on the Impact of the Expanded Social Safety Net
A recent New York Times article by Jason DeParle analyzes how recently expanded social safety net programs have powerfully reduced child poverty. DeParle features commentary from Hilary Hoynes, who insists, “When we spend money, we make gains,” she said. “Providing more resources to low-income families changes children’s life trajectories.” Read the article here.
Max Auffhammer on Increasing the Social Cost of Carbon
According to a new study published in Nature, the social cost of carbon estimate used by the federal government does not reflect recent research – in fact, carbon should be priced 3.6 times higher. In the Associated Press, authors highlight this nature study and invite commentary from Max Auffhammer, who praises the new model and its design. Read the article here.