Notre Dame Economics

Eliminating Fares to Expand Opportunities: Experimental Evidence on the Impacts of Free Public Transportation on Economic and Social Disparities (August 2025) - We conduct a randomized controlled trial to study the employment effects of providing free public transportation to individuals with low incomes. A temporary subsidy that reduces the p...

The lead article from the most recent edition of AEJ: Policy @aeajournals.bsky.social is from our own David Phillips (with Brough and Freedman), "Eliminating Fares to Expand Opportunities . . ." Check it out! @phillipsecon.bsky.social www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...

Notre Dame professor with four undergraduates holding a book at Aspen Economic Strategy Group event.

View of panels from back of room, tables full of attendees.

Two men, one woman, panelists Aspen Economic Strategy Group

@econmsk.bsky.social of @ndecon.bsky.social hosted a timely DC talk with @aspenecon.bsky.social on "After the Spike," a new book on the economic risks of global depopulation.

An expert on policy, poverty, & family economics, she connected with @notredame.bsky.social students after the event.

BIG Forum The Building Inclusive Growth (BIG) Lab seeks to address structural & barriers to equitable economic growth in different parts of the world.

The Building Inclusive Growth Lab @biglabnd.bsky.social will be hosting its BIG Forum this September 25-26. We have a great list of confirmed speakers. Check out the itinerary: biglab.nd.edu/news-events/...

3743990008647846 - Senior Research Program Manager | LEO Make a difference at Notre Dame! Contribute to groundbreaking research, shape young minds, and create a supportive campus. Your work matters.

Our friends at the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities are hiring a senior research program manager. They're seeking someone with a Master’s or PhD in economics, public policy, or a related field, and solid experience managing applied research projects. careers.nd.edu/search-caree...

Handbook of Experimental Development Economics ‘This volume fills a huge void by introducing us to recent developments in the burgeoning field of behavioural development economics. It is a valuable addition to the knowledge base in the area. I exp...

Lakshmi Iyer's paper, "Gender and natural experiments in developing countries," joint with Irma Clots-Figueras, has been published as Chapter 6 in the recent Handbook of Experimental Development Economics. Check it out: www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/han...

Notre Dame professor weighs in on whether $1k Trump Accounts will cause baby boom Now that President Trump's tax cut and spending bill is signed into law, a new program could have a big impact on newborn children and their familes over the ne

Our colleague Jeff Campbell recently spoke with @WSBT about whether the new $1k "Trump Accounts" will cause a baby boom:
wsbt.com/news/local/t...

Former graduate student Carlos Rondon Moreno and our colleague Christiane Baumeister catching up at a Central Bank of Chile conference:

Gender in the Economy: Structural Transformation and Women’s Time-Use, Spring 2026 Submit a paper for consideration by 11:59 pm Eastern time on December 8, 2025.

Call for papers: March 2026 @nber.org conference on Gender in the Economy: Structural Transformation and Women's Time Use, hosted by Claudia Goldin, Claudia Olivetti, and @biglabnd.bsky.social affiliate @taryndinkelman.bsky.social @ndecon.bsky.social. More information at buff.ly/tPcsTNh.

As women have far fewer babies, the U.S. and the world face unprecedented challenges Far more families are choosing to have fewer — or no — children. Many countries, including the U.S., now face a rapidly aging population that could begin to shrink.

New article from NPR, @npr.org, featuring several quotes from our colleague Melissa Kearney: "As women have far fewer babies, the U.S. and the world face unprecedented challenges." Check it out: www.npr.org/2025/07/07/n...

Why Is Fertility So Low in High Income Countries? Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...

New @nber.org working paper from our colleague Melissa Kearney, joint with Phillip Levine. "Why is Fertility So Low in High-Income Countries?" NBER working paper 33989. Check it out: www.nber.org/papers/w33989

The Digest

Work from our colleague, Rob Collinson, is highlighted in the July edition of the NBER Digets @nber.org. Check it out: www.nber.org/digest

Our colleague Jane Ryngaert has a new working paper, "The Causal Effect of News on Inflation Expectations," joint with our graduate student Pascal Frank @pascalfrank1.bsky.social and Carola Binder. Check it out: janeryngaert.github.io/app/resource...

3743990008317484 - Associate Director|ND Pop Make a difference at Notre Dame! Contribute to groundbreaking research, shape young minds, and create a supportive campus. Your work matters.

Another job opportunity at Notre Dame. Come join us as the associate director of Notre Dame Population Analytics (ND Pop). Job ad here: careers.nd.edu/search-caree...

The BIG Lab's @taryndinkelman.bsky.social and co-authors ask if using a clean-burning fuel like LGP can save Indian women time and reduce the exposure to indoor air pollution caused by burning wood or dung? If so, why is the uptake of LPG so low? @kellogginstitute.bsky.social @ndecon.bsky.social‬

3743990008336096 - Associate Director | Notre Dame Strengthening Families Research Initiative Make a difference at Notre Dame! Contribute to groundbreaking research, shape young minds, and create a supportive campus. Your work matters.

Come work in our department as the associate director of our Strengthening Families Initiative, which will be run by our fantastic new colleague Melissa Kearney. The link was previously broken. #econtwitter #academicjobs

careers.nd.edu/search-caree...

Supporting Families, Rewarding Work: A Proposal to Reform and Enhance the EITC and the CTC • The Aspen Institute Economic Strategy Group The federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) are important sources of income support to workers with low earnings and to low-income families with children. In this policy...

The op-ed is based on a longer policy proposal from the Aspen Economic Strategy Group. In addition to Kearney and Purdue, the policy proposal is co-authored by Ella Grant. www.economicstrategygroup.org/publication/...

New op-ed from our incoming colleague Melissa Kearney and former
@ndecon.bsky.social undergraduate major Luke Pardue in
The Hill, "Creating tax reform that is both pro-work and pro-family." Check it out: thehill.com/opinion/fina...

Like Great-Grandparent, Like Great-Grandchild? Multigenerational Mobility in American History Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...

New @nber.org working paper from our colleague Kasey Buckles @kaseybuckles.bsky.social (along with Joe Price and Zach Ward), "Grandchild? Multigenerational Mobility in American History." Check it out:

www.nber.org/papers/w33923

Recent college graduates struggle to find jobs, reach record level of unemployment Recent studies suggest young graduates are facing an all time high in unemployment rates.Some reports suggest Artificial Intelligence is one major factor, with

Our colleague Kirk Doran featured in this WSBT piece about unemployment among recent college graduates. wsbt.com/news/local/u...

Republican Support and Economic Hardship: The Enduring Effects of the Opioid Epidemic Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...

New @nber.org working paper from our colleague Vicky Barone @vickybarone.bsky.social, "Republican Support and Economic Hardship: The Enduring Effects of the Opioid Epidemic" (with Carolina Arteaga). Check it out: www.nber.org/papers/w33904

Santa Clara’s new way to stop homelessness: Keep people in their homes As the housing crisis spreads, Santa Clara County is pioneering a private-public model. It keeps families in their own homes instead of waiting for them to become homeless to help.

Nice article highlighting the real-world impact of some research coming out of our department and the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities. www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/...

The Effect of Emergency Financial Assistance on Mobility, SNAP Receipt, and Presence of Dependents (May 2025) - This paper studies emergency financial assistance for people at risk of homelessness using federal tax and census data. We use an established quasi-experimental research design to examine...

Out in the May 2025 @aeajournals.bsky.social Papers & Proceedings, "The Effect of Emergency Financial Assistance on Mobility, SNAP Receipt, and Presence of Dependents" by our colleagues Dan Hungerman, David Phillips, and Jim Sullivan.

www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...

Our spring seminar series concluded today with an excellent talk by @ndecon.bsky.social LEO researcher Lauren Schechter, funded by the President’s Commission on the Status of Women.

Lauren also generously met with the Women in Economics and Policy clubs during her visit to OSU!

Ethan Jenkins Ethan Jenkins

The Upjohn Institute on June 2 welcomes Ethan Jenkins as a post-doctoral researcher on a team analyzing economic issues in childcare. Ethan is completing an economics Ph.D. at Notre Dame and his interests in labor and public economics will be an asset.

Claude 4, I attempt a first prompt and receive this answer - Marginal REVOLUTION “What do you think was the best/most important piece published in the Journal of Political Economy over the last few years and why?” Two papers that stand out as particularly important from recent yea...

The work of our colleague, Jim Sullivan, was recently highlighted in a Marginal Revolution post:

marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevo...

VDEV 63 - Outsourcing Policy and Worker Outcomes: Causal Evidence from a Mexican BanPresenter: Joseph Kaboski (University of Notre-Dame and BREAD)Co-authors... VDEV 63 - Joseph Kaboski (University of Notre-Dame and BREAD)

Joe Kaboski, past BIG Lab Director, gave a VDEV/CEPR/BREAD seminar focused on joint work with Alejandro Estefan et al, exploring monopsony labor markets in Mexico. @artslettersnd.bsky.social @ndecon.bsky.social @keoughglobalnd.bsky.social
@kellogginstitute.bsky.social

buff.ly/FbbAxLJ

Some more

We had a great time at our department recognition and awards ceremony last Friday, which was part of @notredame.bsky.social's commencement weekend. Some photos below.

Some more

Congratulations to our recent PhD graduates. Some photos from the Graduate School commencement ceremony this past Saturday
@notredame.bsky.social
@artslettersnd.bsky.social