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Applies the theory and elementary tools of economics to the characteristics and problems of the labor market. Considers both the demand (employer) and supply (employee) sides of the market to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of various government programs and private decisions targeted at the labor market. Topics include employment demand, basic compensation determination, education and training, benefits and the structure of compensation, labor-force participation and its relation to household production, occupational choice, migration, labor-market discrimination, and the effects of unions.

Examines the causes and consequences of sustained economic growth, and the development of economics as a discipline, from pre-industrial mercantilist thought through the economics of John Maynard Keynes. Stresses the relationship between the consequences of 19th-century economic growth and the evolution of economic thought.

Is the U.S. college system a great equalizer or a cause of growing inequality? Improved access to higher education has brought millions of Americans into the middle class, and yet rising selectivity has meant that a disproportionate share of the economic elite come from a few top colleges. This course will explore the three big parts of the college experience --- (1) admissions and the college-going decision; (2) education while in college; and (3) college completion and labor market entry --- and ask how each part contributes to inequality in economic outcomes. Lectures and readings will focus on simple economic theories of higher education as well as the empirical methods used to test these theories.

This class investigates race and class in the American labor market from Colonial America to the present day. We investigate the circumstances and labor institutions that brought labor to the U.S. and how laborers of various classes were received. A primary goal of the class is to understand the degree to which social mobility was historically possible in different time periods in American history. Social mobility is intimately tied to labor market institutions and the ability for workers to get ahead within those institutions. Some of the institutions we study are Indentured Servitude, Slavery, tenant farming, the Great Migration and labor organization in the industrial north. Ultimately we hope to build an understanding of the historical roots of the role of race and class today.

This course examines economic approaches to how new technologies impact the labor market. We will study how new technologies affect the nature of jobs and tasks, the nature and flexibility of work contracts, as well as how firms and workers search and find each other. We will discuss the emergence of flexible work arrangements (gig economy, teleworking). The goal is to learn how economists approach and analyze these phenomena, both theoretically and empirically.

Should policy interventions target inequality between workers or disparities between places? Inequality has risen in most developed countries in recent decades. While top incomes have grown significantly, incomes at the bottom of the distribution have increased much less. In light of these trends, this course examines the role of labor market and place-based policies in reducing inequality, and discusses the trade-offs that arise between reducing inequality and promoting economic activity.

This course proposes a new and innovative approach to learning about economics. If you want to learn in a different manner, if you are attracted to visualizations in general, this course is for you. This course will challenge preconceptions about what economics is. The goal is to use visual arts to illustrate basic economic concepts that are general, and demonstrate how these tools can be used to analyze and understand a variety of human and social phenomena. The idea of using arts to teach a non-arts related topic stems from recent research in neurology suggesting that creative arts aid learning and memorizing. The course focuses on the core concepts and ideas in economics and is meant to be widely accessible.

Examines topics in labor economics of particular relevance to individual managers and firms. Representative topics include recruitment, screening, and hiring strategies; compensation (including retirement pensions and other benefits); training, turnover, and the theory of human capital; incentive schemes and promotions; layoffs, downsizing, and buyouts; teamwork; and internal labor markets. Focuses on labor-related business problems using the analytic tools of economic theory and should appeal to students with strong quantitative skills who are contemplating careers in general business, consulting, and human resource management as well as in economics.

Surveys the history of social policy in Great Britain and the United States from 1800 to the adoption of the British welfare state after World War II. Topics include the role of poor relief in the early 19th century; the changing relationship between public relief and private charity; the adoption of social insurance programs and protective labor legislation for children and women; government intervention in the Great Depression; and the beginnings of the welfare state.

Students are eligible for the ILR senior honors program if they: (1) earn a minimum 3.700 cumulative GPA at the end of junior year; (2) propose an honors project, entailing research leading to completion of a thesis, to an ILR faculty member who agrees to act as thesis supervisor; and (3) submit an honors project, endorsed by the proposed faculty sponsor, to the Academic Standards and Integrity Committee. Accepted students embark on a two-semester sequence. The first semester consists of determining a research design, familiarization with germane scholarly literature, and preliminary data collection. The second semester involves completion of the data collection and preparation of the honors thesis. At the end of the second semester, the candidate is examined orally on the completed thesis by a committee consisting of the thesis supervisor and a second faculty member.

All requests for permission to register for an internship must be approved by the faculty member who will supervise the project and the chairman of the faculty member's academic department before submission for approval by the director of off-campus credit programs. Upon approval of the internship, each student will be enrolled in ILRLE 4970, for 4 letter-graded credits for individual research, and in ILRLE 4980, for 8 S/U credits, for completion of a professionally-appropriate learning experience, which is graded by the faculty sponsor.

All requests for permission to register for an internship must be approved by the faculty member who will supervise the project and the chairman of the faculty member's academic department before submission for approval by the director of off-campus credit programs. Upon approval of the internship, each student will be enrolled in ILRLE 4980, for 4 letter-graded credits for individual research, and in ILRLE 4970 for individual research, and in 4980, for 8 S/U credits, for completion of a professionally-appropriate learning experience, which is graded by the faculty sponsor.

For individual or group research projects conducted under the direction of a member of the ILR faculty, in a special area not covered by regular course offerings. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a preceding semester GPA average of 3.0 are eligible to submit projects for approval by the Academic Standards and Integrity Committee. Students should consult with an advisor in the Office of Student Services at the time of course enrollment to arrange for formal submission of their directed study.

This is a course in labor market economics for prospective managers in the corporate, union, not-for-profit, and public sectors. The course begins with demand and supply in labor markets, presenting the tools of decision analysis for workers and firms. It then goes on to consider various topics in workplace management including deciding on the optimal mix of capital and labor to employ, attracting and retaining talent, pay and productivity, hiring and training investments, and using strategic budget constraints. The final section of the course covers other important labor market issues including analysis of public policies, unemployment, discrimination, poverty and inequality, and pensions and Social Security.

Includes reading and discussion of selected topics in labor economics. Stresses applications of economic theory and econometrics to the labor market and human resource areas.

Since the 1980s, American cities have exhibited increasingly divergent trends. This Great Divergence has had profound effects on local employment, income, political preferences, health outcomes, and intergenerational mobility. As more detailed data become available, recent research seeks to uncover the causes of this divergence and evaluate how policy interventions might mitigate its negative effects. Building on this research, this course explores recent advancements at the crossroads of labor and spatial economics. It begins by examining the growing disparities between cities and regions in terms of productivity, labor market opportunities, and amenities, in several countries. It then investigates the rationale behind place-based policies and their potential to stimulate local development. Finally, the course will provide students with essential tools and theories to study the sorting of workers and firms over space and to understand its implications for economic growth and inequality.

Includes reading and discussion of selected topics in labor economics. Stresses applications of economic theory and econometrics to the labor market and human resource areas. The combination of ILRLE 7450 and ILRLE 7460 constitute Ph.D.-level sequence in labor economics.

This course aims to provide an in-depth perspective on three important themes in modern labor economics: (1) Job search, (2) Technological change and new forms of work, (3) Sorting of workers and firms. Both micro and macro perspectives will be considered.

Analytical approaches to the economics of developing nations and development processes. Topics include: introduction to development economics; distribution analysis: theory and evidence; modeling employment, unemployment, wages, and labor markets; and policy analysis for economic development.

Research workshop featuring guests lecturers. Presentations of completed papers and work in progress by faculty members, advanced graduate students, and speakers from other universities. Focuses on the formulation, design, and execution of dissertations.