Preventing people from entering careers where they could maximize their potential places massive costs on society, and economists can measure the real impact. Chang-Tai Hsieh and Erik Hurst have discovered that declining barriers to careers for women and Black men over the last 50 years accounts for 25-40% of all productivity growth in the US. They join to discuss the implications of their critical findings.

 

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Research Briefs·Oct 2, 2024

Moving to Opportunity, Together

Seema Jayachandran, Lea Nassal, Matthew J. Notowidigdo, Marie Paul, Heather Sarsons, and Elin Sundberg
When heterosexual couples in Germany and Sweden relocate, men’s earnings increase by 5-10%, while women’s do not change. Couples are more likely to relocate when the man, rather than the woman, is laid off. These gaps appear at least in...
Topics: Employment & Wages
Research Briefs·Jul 18, 2024

Historical Differences in Female-Owned Manufacturing Establishments: The United States, 1850-1880

Ruveyda Gozen, Richard Hornbeck, Anders Humlum, and Martin Rotemberg
During the late 1800s, manufacturing establishments owned by females were smaller than those owned by males and had lower capital-to-output ratios. Female-owned establishments employed more women and paid women higher wages, and were concentrated in sub-industries like women’s clothing and...
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Research Briefs·May 23, 2024

Can You Erase the Mark of a Criminal Record? Labor Market Impacts of Criminal Record Remediation

Amanda Y. Agan,  Andrew Garin, Dmitri K. Koustas, Alexandre Mas, and Crystal Yang
Removing a previously obtained criminal record does not improve labor market outcomes, on average, with the notable exception of participation in gig work through online platforms.
Topics: Economic Mobility & Poverty, Employment & Wages