Policy & the Economy
January 21, 2022
It May Be Time to Reconsider That Noncompete Agreement
Federal regulators are cracking down on hiring practices that restrict employees’ wages and ability to work for competitors. Here’s what companies should know.
Mark McCareins
January 7, 2022
When a Bunch of Economists Look at the Same Data, Do They All See It the Same Way?
Not at all, according to a recent study, which showed just how much noise can be introduced by researchers’ unique analytical approaches.
Robert Korajczyk, Dermot Murphy and and coauthors
December 1, 2021
Can Larger Loans Help Small Firms Grow?
Sometimes. But it turns out that lenders are bad at figuring out which businesses will benefit.
Bryan T. Gharad, Dean Karlan and Adam Osman
November 2, 2021
The Health Department Gave Your Favorite Restaurant an 85. What on Earth Does That Mean?
Regulators should consider tweaking their scoring systems to make food-safety ratings more informative.
Tami Kim and Daniel Martin
November 1, 2021
What Businesses Must Do to Curtail Climate Change
We need to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. This will require a new system of incentives.
Meghan Busse
November 1, 2021
How Much Do Campaign Ads Matter?
Tone is key, according to new research, which found that a change in TV ad strategy could have altered the results of the 2000 presidential election.
Brett Gordon, Mitchell J. Lovett, Bowen Luo and James Reeder
October 4, 2021
How Companies Can Do Data Privacy Better
Not all efforts are costly, and being known for strong protections could give firms a competitive advantage.
Itay P. Fainmesser, Andrea Galeotti, Ruslan Momot, Yanzhe (Murray) Lee and Sentao Miao
September 1, 2021
In Some Markets, Competition Can Do More Harm Than Good
A study of the Rwandan coffee industry shows how informal contracts can break down as new competitors enter, resulting in higher costs and lower quality products.
Rocco Macchiavello and Ameet Morjaria
August 12, 2021
Trust Usually Helps Communities Thrive. During a Pandemic, Not So Much.
Places with high levels of trust are worse at social distancing.
Georgy Egorov, Ruben Enikolopov and Maria Petrova
August 11, 2021
COVID Has Accelerated These 4 Labor Market Trends
From greater flexibility to higher wages, the workplace is never going to look the same.
Benjamin Friedrich
August 6, 2021
Should Americans Be Worried about Inflation Right Now?
Three economists with opposing views weigh in.
Zhengyang Jiang, Nicolas Crouzet and Efraim Benmelech
August 2, 2021
To Better Measure Economic Uncertainty, Look Beyond the Stock Market
Incorporating news sources, surveys, and even Twitter conversations can help give policymakers more nuanced data.
David Altig, Scott R. Baker, Jose Maria Barrero, Nick Bloom, Phil Bunn, Scarlet Chen and et al.
July 13, 2021
The U.S. Economy Is Still Finding Its Footing. But States Are Doing Pretty Well.
Why California is thriving—and even Illinois is on the upswing.
Therese McGuire
July 1, 2021
Measuring COVID’s Devastating Impact on Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Global surveys of more than 30,000 people revealed widespread drops in income, rising food insecurity, and an increase in domestic violence.
Dean Karlan, Christopher Udry and and coauthors
June 21, 2021
How Did “Big Med” Get So Big—and So Expensive?
Two economists explain how the American healthcare system evolved into the behemoth it is today—and what can be done to lower costs and improve patient care.
David Dranove and Lawton R. Burns
June 2, 2021
Nursing Shortages Cause Real Harm to Patients. Policymakers Should Pay Attention.
During COVID, governments eased hiring restrictions. A Kellogg economist explains why the labor market should stay flexible.
Thomas N. Hubbard
June 1, 2021
Laws Requiring Board Diversity Are Becoming More Common. Here’s What to Know.
“Companies want to be ahead of the curve on this.”
Mark McCareins
June 1, 2021
Civil Servants Often Work for Administrations They Disagree with Politically. How Does This Affect Their Job Performance?
While the benefits of insulating career bureaucrats are clear, new research explores whether there are downsides, too.
Jörg L. Spenkuch, Edoardo Teso and Guo Xu
June 1, 2021
U.S. Firms Are Investing Heavily in Innovation, Yet Economic Productivity Has Slowed. Why?
The answer may lie in how pharmaceutical companies are targeting their R&D spending.
Efraim Benmelech, Janice C. Eberly, Joshua Krieger and Dimitris Papanikolaou
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