Economy Jan 05 What explains who becomes an inventor? A new working paper finds that children from families in the top 1 percent of the income distribution are 10 times more likely to become inventors than those from families in the bottom 50 percent, and that over 80 percent…
Economy May 08 Are robots coming for your blue-collar jobs? On average, the arrival of one new industrial robot in a local labor market coincides with an employment drop of 5.6 workers.
Economy Feb 07 How the housing crisis boxed in some job seekers When job searchers were constrained geographically due to the "lock in" effect of lower home values, they were more likely to apply for lower-level and lower-paying positions within their commuting zone.
Economy Jan 24 Do online courses increase access to education? Online coursework has been heralded as potentially transformative for higher education, but little is known about whether it increases the number of people who earn degrees.
Economy Jan 16 Do ride-sharing apps discriminate against black customers? A new study found that there were roughly twice the number of cancellations for customers who used African American-sounding names when requesting a ride in Boston than those using white-sounding names.
Economy Jan 13 Do organizations raise more money by offering small gifts to potential donors? How do potential donors respond to receiving gifts from organizations that appeal to them for support?…
Economy Jan 09 The earnings gap between black and white men has barely shrunk in 30 years. Why? Over the past 75 years, the racial gap in economic rank has narrowed sharply among men at the top of the earnings ladder, but changed very little among those at the middle and bottom.
Economy Dec 26 What we get wrong about taxes and the American Revolution "No taxation without representation" — the rallying cry of the American Revolution — gives the impression that taxation was the principal irritant between Britain and its American colonies. But, in fact, taxes in the colonies were much lower than taxes…
Economy Dec 19 Why fund managers from poor families achieve better results Researchers find that mutual fund managers from poor families consistently achieve better investment results than fund managers from wealthier backgrounds.
Economy Oct 31 Are you an informed voter? A quiz Americans can agree on one thing this election season: they're angry. But is your anger based on facts or misconceptions? Take our quiz to find out.