Melanie Wasserman

Assistant Professor of Economics

About

Melanie Wasserman is a labor economist whose research focuses on the mechanisms underlying gender differences in educational, occupational and labor market outcomes. Women’s entry into the labor force is one of the most noteworthy changes in the U.S. labor market over the last 40 years, and this drives the direction and scope of Wasserman’s research. A key question in her most recent work is whether a job’s non-monetary attributes influence an individual’s choice of job or career.

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6 Articles

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

A white woman dressed in black sits in a chair while people walk behind her. Research Brief / Gender

Career Mentoring Default — Women for Women — Altered by Quality Data

A well-intentioned best practice, gender matching might not be optimal

A women sitting in front of her laptop holding her toddler daughter Research Brief / Gender Gap

Long Before COVID-19, School Summer Breaks Disrupted Women’s Careers

Households with kids ages 6 to 12 feel the interruption most

Two individuals engaged in conversation Research Brief / Bias

Informal Career Advice Carries a Gender Bias

Women are warned about work-life balance more than men

Two students using a computer Research Brief / Education

Gender Gaps in School Performance

Socioeconomic factors magnify the boy-girl divide and can explain cross-race differences

Woman walking through a courtyard Research Brief / Gender

Women Are Likelier to Drop Out after Early Political Loss

But the “persistence gap” in seeking elective office narrows with experience