See Choices and consequences in the real “game of life”: From falling in with “bad apples” to choosing a major, economists decipher how early decisions shape long-term outcomes by Jeff Horwich, Senior Economics Writer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Excerpt:”The research on Minnesota students from Nath, Borovičková, and Leibert (discussed above) finds that while…
When it comes to lifetime earnings, the most important decision appears to be the choice of college major
When it comes to lifetime earnings, the most important decision appears to be the choice of college major
25 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in econometerics, economics of education, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, occupational choice, poverty and inequality Tags: College premium
Superannuation, KiwiSaver, and New Zealand’s economic development
22 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in economic growth, income redistribution, labour economics, labour supply, macroeconomics, politics - New Zealand, Public Choice, rentseeking Tags: ageing society
The Retirement Commissioner has released a paper on aspects of New Zealand Superannuation (NZS). Its focus includes affordability, fairness, age of eligibility, and the treatment of those over 65 who continue in the workforce whilst also receiving NZS. What the Commissioner does not discuss is the relationship between superannuation systems, domestic savings rates and capital […]
Superannuation, KiwiSaver, and New Zealand’s economic development
Bari Weiss interviews Roland Fryer
22 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, discrimination, econometerics, economic history, economics of crime, economics of education, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, law and economics, occupational choice, politics - USA, poverty and inequality Tags: academic bias, crime and punishment, free speech, law and order, political correctness, racial discrimination, regressive left
A lot of readers and heterodox colleagues have sent me this link to Bari Weiss’s interview with Harvard economics professor Roland G. Fryer, Jr., often accompanied by big encomiums. Despite my unwillingness to watch long videos, I did watch all 77 minutes of it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t mesmerized, or even much interested. There are interesting […]
Bari Weiss interviews Roland Fryer
Changing times
21 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in economic history, economics of education, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, population economics Tags: Australia, economics of languages

RICHARD PREBBLE: We must get our children back to school
21 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of education, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, politics - New Zealand
It will not matter what was agreed in 1840 if the coalition cannot get our children back to school. Most children do not attend school regularly. Nations that do not educate the next generation are doomed to fail. In the 3rd term last year most Pakeha pupils, 52%, did not go to school regularly.…
RICHARD PREBBLE: We must get our children back to school
John Tamihere – Why did he change?
18 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economic history, economics of education, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, occupational choice, politics - New Zealand, poverty and inequality Tags: New Zealand, racial discrimination
#COVID19 educational scarring
16 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of education, health economics, human capital, labour economics, labour supply Tags: economics of pandemics
Florida’s One-Man Laffer Curve
16 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, entrepreneurship, fiscal policy, income redistribution, labour economics, labour supply, macroeconomics, Public Choice, public economics Tags: taxation and entrepreneurship, taxation and investment, taxation and labour supply

Inflation is having an effect on everything, even policy analysis. Back in 2013, I wrote that Phil Mickelson was “California’s One-Man Laffer Curve” because he wanted to escape the Golden State to save about $1.2 million per year in taxes. But now, when a goose that lays golden eggs wants to escape, the numbers are […]
Florida’s One-Man Laffer Curve
Self-selection explained
15 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in labour economics, labour supply, occupational choice, unemployment Tags: adverse selection, asymmetric information, moral hazard, screening, self-selection, signaling
Pay Transparency: What’s Good to Know?
15 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in discrimination, econometerics, gender, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, occupational choice, poverty and inequality Tags: gender wage gap

In some countries, like Norway, your income tax forms are public information, so any one can look up what anyone else earns. In a US context, income is mostly considered to be private information, unless you are a public employee or an executive at a public company. Would it be a good thing to have…
Pay Transparency: What’s Good to Know?
Alice Evans on the ideological gender divide
13 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economics of education, gender, health and safety, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, occupational choice, poverty and inequality Tags: evolutionary biology, evolutionary psychology, gender wage gap, sex discrimination
I suggest, Men and women tend to think alike in societies where there is Close-knit interdependence, religosity and authoritarianism, or Shared cultural production and mixed gendered offline socialising. Gendered ideological polarisation appears encouraged by: Feminised public culture Economic resentment Social media filter bubbles Cultural entrepreneurs. Here is the full piece, currently the best piece on […]
Alice Evans on the ideological gender divide
Another gender gap gone
11 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in discrimination, economic history, economics of education, gender, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, occupational choice
My TLS essay on the Clinton administration
10 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in human capital, labour economics, labour supply, poverty and inequality, welfare reform
Here is the link, I am reviewing a bad book on the Clinton administration (A Fabulous Failure, by Lichtenstein and Stern). Here is one excerpt: Clinton-era welfare reform is another area where many commentators go astray, and Lichtenstein and Stein are no exception. The Clinton pronouncement “I have a plan to end welfare as we […]
My TLS essay on the Clinton administration
LINDSAY MITCHELL: Labour hid developing welfare crisis
08 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of education, gender, human capital, labour economics, labour supply, occupational choice, politics - New Zealand, poverty and inequality, welfare reform Tags: child poverty, family poverty
Lindsay Mitchell writes- When National became government in 2008, Finance Minister Bill English’s determination to understand the extent of benefit-dependency led them to commission Taylor Fry to produce annual actuarial reports. These were duly published at the MSD website every year but ceased when the government changed in 2017. Now however, an Official Information request […]
LINDSAY MITCHELL: Labour hid developing welfare crisis





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