Over the last several decades, economists have documented significant structural changes to the labor market in the United States. Among them are a declining labor share of income, the expansion of automation, increased competition across borders from globalization, and decreased competition at home with high levels of consolidation and concentration in many markets. The COVID-19 pandemic has also introduced turbulence to the labor market, which, apart from generating employment fluctuations, exacerbated inequality and precipitated drastic changes in where and how work is done in the U.S.
The 2023 Undergraduate Panel featured a discussion on these topics. Economists engaging in cutting-edge research parsed the wisdom to untangle difficult questions posed by short-term and long-term changes in labor markets.
Agenda
Welcome
Kotaro Yoshida, University of Chicago
Opening Remarks
Moderated Panel
Ioana Marinescu, University of Pennsylvania (Panelist)
Robert Shimer, University of Chicago (Panelist)
Robert Topel, University of Chicago (Panelist)
Cedric Elkouh, Economics Major, University of Chicago Class of 2023 (Moderator)
Zhi Zhang, Economics Major, University of Chicago Class of 2023 (Moderator)
Audience Q&A