Labor

December 9, 2015

Four Charts That Show Why We Should Go to College

With higher college tuition and less wage growth for college grads, still, the college wage premium and its opportunity cost make college worth it.

December 8, 2015

Where Toilets “Take a Village”

Shown by a project in rural India, building a sanitation network that includes toilets can eliminate open defecation and the disease it creates.

December 7, 2015

Debating the Size of the Social Safety Net

If Finland replaces benefits with a monthly check, the tradeoffs for its safety net programs will be domestic and international.

November 30, 2015

Marriage Markets in China and India

With son preference, limited fertility and social norms, China's and India's sex ratios at birth have created a male glut and new marriage markets.

November 13, 2015

The Problem With Bovine Burps

Reducing environmental externalities from greenhouse gas emissions involves the methane that cows and other ruminants burp.

November 5, 2015

Why It’s Tough to Place the Poverty Line

Whether calculating the poverty rate in Rwanda or in the U.S., the income and/or consumption variables you select determine your results.

November 2, 2015

Why China’s Two-Child Policy Might Not Work

Although China has said it will replace its one-child policy with a two child limit, small families remain a social norm that will be tough to change.

October 27, 2015

Solving the Mystery of the Disappearing Workers

One reason we have a labor force participation rate of 62.4 percent is because retirees, students, the disabled and people who care for family do not work.

October 23, 2015

Why Our Kids Will Not Care For Us When We Are Old

Because of aging populations in the developed world and in China, concern about care for the elderly and rising dependency ratios have increased.

October 5, 2015

The Connection Between Your Credit Score and Your Love Life

Because credit card scores predict trustworthiness and financial distress, they indicate whether a co-habitation relationship will be long lasting.

October 2, 2015

The Importance of Accurately Estimating When We Will Die

Retirement savings and income depend on the person's prior income, longevity, the macroeconomic environment, Social Security and other entitlement programs.

September 30, 2015

Part 1: Understanding the Student Loan Crisis

The characteristics of the student loan crisis include a high default and delinquency rate, huge amounts of money and a personal and macroeconomic impact.