Economics
What We Get Wrong about the Effects of Population Growth
New research co-authored by Professor Jason Dana finds that people over-focus on increased consumption without considering the positive effects of increased production.
Can Industrial Policy Help Revive Struggling Regions?
A new paper co-authored by Yale SOM’s Cameron LaPoint looks at an effort in 1980s Japan to narrow economic inequalities between geographic regions, in order to understand the potential impact of the similar U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, enacted in 2022.
El Salvador Adopted Bitcoin as an Official Currency; Salvadorans Mostly Shrugged
In an effort to boost financial inclusion, El Salvador made Bitcoin an official currency and offered incentives for adopting it. A new study co-authored by Yale SOM’s David Argente and Diana Van Patten found that a lack of trust caused use of the cryptocurrency to fall off quickly.
Our Most-Read Stories of 2023
This year, Yale SOM research examined sustainable investing, the dynamics of social media, the role of race in school discipline, and the complexities of airline pricing. And faculty offered expertise on issues in the news, including the changing workplace, noncompete agreements, the politics of ESG investing, the effectiveness of masks, the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, and the Barbie movie phenomenon.
Modeling the Path Toward Creativity
Creative insight may appear to arrive in a flash, says Yale SOM economist Jonathan Feinstein, but the eureka moment typically emerges from a foundation built over years. Feinstein’s new book modeling creativity is itself the result of an early interest and decades of exploration.
Lower-Income Employees Are More Likely to Remain at 401(k) Defaults, Even If It Costs Them Money
Automatically enrolling employees in retirement plans is a powerful tool for increasing savings. But Yale SOM’s James Choi and his coauthors find that once enrolled, people with lower incomes are more likely to remain at default contribution rates, even if they aren’t optimal.
The Conversations on an Anonymous Economics Forum Are Troubling—and Elite Schools Are Part of the Problem
Yale SOM’s Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham and Kyle Jensen and their former colleague Florian Ederer presented a study showing that anonymous racist and sexist posts on the popular Economics Job Market Rumors website were coming from top universities.
Video: Dating, Marriage, Parenting, and the Gender Wage Gap
Women earn 79 cents for every dollar that men make. But look beyond that widely cited statistic, and you’ll find a complex story of causes, effects, and correlations. Prof. Mushfiq Mobarak surveys the literature on the subject and argues that, to close the gap, we need to address society’s differing expectations around who bears the burden of family and parenting responsibilities.
Bringing the Economist’s Tool Kit to the Policies that Shape Markets
Katja Seim, the Sharon Oster Professor of Economics and Management, investigates the complex forces behind the infrastructure of everyday life with an aim of enabling data-driven improvement to policy tools and making markets function better.
Is Dynamic Airline Pricing Costing Us?
Prices for airline tickets rise and fall depending on demand. Yale SOM’s Aniko Öry and Kevin Williams investigated whether such pricing makes airlines and customers better off.
R&D Investment Can Have Multiplier Effects—If It’s Made in the Right Industries
A new study co-authored by Prof. Song Ma finds that allocating research funding to certain scientific fields can have long-term ripple effects across sectors and countries.
