Economics 341H - Labor Economics Hons

Choice-theoretic model of labor-leisure choice. Returns to education and occupational choice. Demand for labor. Minimum wages. Changing income distribution. Effect of household structure and tax system on income structure. Labor market discrimination. Compensating wage differentials. Unions. The enrichment for this course will be the hands-on analysis of real-world labor market data. The course will cover econometric methods used by economists in estimating causal effects, including the use of natural experiments. Two of the assignments in the class will specifically focus on empirical analysis. One will involve decomposing trends in earnings inequality into component parts. Another will involve estimating effects of policies such as the minimum wage on employment, poverty, etc.

Open to seniors & juniors only. ECON 203 or RESEC 202 Familiarity with econometrics and statistical software (e.g. STATA) is recommended.