Area: Economics

A female surgeon looks to two nurses as a male surgeon continues to work on a patient's foot. Research Brief / Gender Gap

Shorter Workweek Could Help Close the Gender Wage Gap

Study of medical residencies shows shift in women’s specialty choices when hours reduced

An illustration featuring text that reads "happiness" and other items such as scissors and a ruler Feature / Happiness

The Unhappy Quest for a Happiness Index

Pushing aside GDP for a measure of human well-being turns out to be very, very difficult. Ask Dan Benjamin

An illustration of a woman pulling a suitcase as she walks toward her ride share. Research Brief / Ride-Sharing Services

Surge Pricing’s Benefits Go to a Subset of Ride-Hailing Drivers

Full-timers gain the least, part-time drivers the most

An overhead view of a herd heading toward water Research Brief / Cultural History

Societies With a Legacy of Herding: More Prone to Current Day Violence

A culture that valorized revenge among pre-industrial herders resonates today

Research Brief / Gender

COVID-19 Tactics Varied by Gender Among Brazilian Mayors Running for Reelection

Notable differences in death rates; it appears candidates factored in voter gender bias

A cargo ship loaded with cargo container sits at a dock in Iceland Research Brief / Pricing

Measuring the Impact of Currency Moves on Consumer Prices

It varies across goods and services and can be blunted by monetary policy

A lone red char in empty office. Research Brief / Investing

As Concentrated Shareholder Ownership Rises, Wages and Employment Suffer

Where big investors gather, corporate wealth is reallocated away from workers

Thousands of exuberant backers of the Equal Rights Amendment, marched on Congress to plea for extension of the ratification deadline. Research Brief / Public Policy

Do Social Laws Always Cause a Backlash?

Laws that threaten ideological preferences prompt some opponents to adopt more extreme beliefs

A sleeping baby wrapped in a white blanket wearing a black graduation cap with a red tasle Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

How Far Would You Go for an Ivy League Kid?

Study finds interest in screening embryos for education propensity, especially if everyone else is doing it

An exterior night shot of a Dollar General store. Research Brief / Retail

How Dollar Stores Contribute to Food Deserts

Expanding chains drive out independent grocers, reduce access to fresh produce

A color image of a genome. Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

College Completion and Your Genome (Don’t Get Too Excited)

It’s still early days in genetic research, though advances will aid study of educational attainment and, notably, disease

Two men sit on a bench in a scene from the TV show "Silicon Valley." Research Brief / Behavioral Economics

The Role of Chance Encounters in Silicon Valley Innovation

Cellphone signals and patent citations approximate a theory’s long-sought paper trail

A color photo of four catcti with a cactus blossom on the end at right. Research Brief / Taxes

A Simplified Tax Code and Post-Communist Growth

Study suggests flat tax systems boosted GDP in former Soviet republics and satellites

A Soviet Union propaganda poster for May Day in 1950 that features a man and woman. Research Brief / Economics

An Enemy’s Economic Success Sparked U.S. Congressional Cooperation

Bipartisan action rose amid reports of surprising Soviet Cold War economic growth

Colorful patterns on the surface of the water created by oily pollutants and stagnant water, as seen in a Texas bayou. Ripple rings also appear on the surface from aquatic life under the polluted water. Research Brief / Inflation

How Oil Prices Distort Our View of Inflation

A favored Federal Reserve index fails to filter out petroleum’s impact

Aerial view of a cargo ship being hauled by tugboats near the port where other ships are docked and cargo waits to be loaded. Research Brief / International Trade

In U.S.-China Trade War, Bystander Countries Increase Exports

Higher demand from U.S. and China means expanding into new markets