Topic: Forecasting

A woman deposits her vote in a sealed envelope into an official voting ballot box in Washington state. Research Brief / Politics

Prediction Markets + Polls + Economic Indicators: Better Election Forecasting?

A model incorporating markets that allow betting on elections suggests a role in prognostications

Small town in Colorado with red light on main street downtown and first national bank. Research Brief / Recession

Local Banks Provide an Early Warning System on Recessions

When they’re forced to pay up for deposits, it’s a bad sign for area’s economy

Aerial view of marathon city runners. One person leading marathon. Research Brief / Forecasting

Experts Struggle to Accurately Forecast Societal Change

On COVID-19’s impacts, social scientists’ predictions weren’t much better than those of laypeople

Haitian citizens take 100-pound bags of rice at an aid distribution point in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Research Brief / Operations

Distributing Aid Fairly Amid Scarcity and Unknown Demand

Building adaptability into an approach improves performance

A collage of faces in white frames on a light green background Research Brief / Investing

How a Stock Analyst’s Face Affects Their Earning Estimates

Trustworthy and dominant-seeming men: access to corporate management. Dominant-seeming women: not so much.

Research Brief / Competition

Quantifying the Benefits of Legally Cooperating with Competitors

Sales forecasting improves markedly as firms participate in standard setting organizations

California Housing Market Forecast / Housing

As Home Prices Soar Elsewhere, California Starts to Seem Almost Reasonable

Will the narrowing price gap bring an end to the state’s out-migration?

Various fast food restaurant signs along a road Research Brief / Minimum Wage

A $15 Minimum Wage May Have (Partially) Arrived, But Who Pays?

Study of L.A.-area restaurants gauges effect on owners, customers, landlords

A view of a white house on stilts on a beach shore Feature / Global Warming

Is the $1 Trillion Coastal Housing Market a Future Financial Crisis?

Homebuyers ignore warnings of rising seas; lenders keep lending

A brick home with solar panels on the roof Forecast / Sustainability

Solar Calculators Are Precise, But Data Don’t Always Persuade

A separate motivator: friends living in areas abundant in solar panels

A man dressed in pink dress shirt and tie pointing at himself in the mirror Research Brief / Finance

“How’re Sales, Roger?” “Good Question, Roger!”

When CEO and analyst share a first name, earnings estimates are sharper

Person walking by a train with Uber logo Research Brief / Ride-Sharing Services

Is Uber the Answer to Public Transit’s Last-Mile Problem?

And if so, who’s going to pay?

Aerial shot of an industrial district Forecast / Technology

Tech Sector Propels California’s Economy Faster than the Nation’s

New economic indicator allows forecasters to monitor the state’s performance more closely

Illustration of a head with blinders Feature / Behavioral Decision Making

How People Gather Information — or Don’t — to Make Decisions

Personal beliefs, especially among the less educated, often outweigh actual data

Loaded cargo ship docked Forecast / International Trade

Some Unfortunate Truths about Trade

The troublesome relationship between tariffs, trade deficits and the tenuous economic recovery

Ebola tent Research Brief / Health Care

When Ebola Strikes, Where Should Help Go?

Improving epidemic forecasting helps response teams target aid more effectively