Where do jobs come from, and how can we learn more about firms that create them? Governments need to know which firms create employment, how shocks are passed on along supply chains, and how the benefits of trade reach workers. Tracking such information in a comprehensive manner and over an extended period can be challenging. […]
Sunday morning store closures impose significant costs on consumers, but supporters of such ‘blue laws’ argue these rules protect workers, family life, and small retailers. This column uses GPS data to study the effects of lifting North Dakota’s strict Sunday morning retail ban in 2019. After the repeal, Sunday morning visits to Walmart stores rose […]
The rapid adoption of AI in the workplace has raised concerns about job loss. This column uses data covering all AI-related commercial software registered with Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property to show how AI is affecting the labour market in two distinct ways. In the factory, AI increases employment of low-skilled workers by making […]
Governments and development institutions spend billions to help small businesses access financing, hoping this will create jobs and support inclusive economic growth. But we don’t really know if these programs reach the firms that need help most and help them grow. In a recent paper, we evaluate a loan program in Ecuador implemented by the state […]
Businesses use checklists to exercise managerial control and ensure quality, but excessive bureaucracy can frustrate skilled workers and reduce morale. This column presents a randomised control trial in a German bakery chain that removed two time-consuming, non-essential checklists in selected stores. After abolishing the checklists, sales rose by 2.7%, customer ratings improved, and qualified workers […]
Studies of the impact of robots on labour markets often conceptualise jobs as bundles of distinct tasks. In such frameworks, technologies substitute or complement workers. But this view may overestimate the potential adverse effects of automation, particularly in developing countries. This column distinguishes between technical feasibility and economic viability of adopting industrial robots and artificial […]
The two most prominent arguments President Trump has advanced for his trade war – both during the early months of his second term, and for decades prior – are that protectionism will reduce the trade deficit and increase manufacturing employment. This column, taken from a CEPR book on the economic consequences of the second Trump […]
Industrial policy is increasingly implemented worldwide, with many policymakers and researchers highlighting its benefits. However, the cost of industrial policy remains less understood. Using Chinese firm-level data, this column shows that higher industrial subsidies raise the likelihood and severity of foreign anti-dumping and countervailing duties at each investigation stage. These retaliatory tariffs wipe out roughly […]
Export booms can boost formal job growth and lead to greener employment. In Brazil, between 2000 and 2020, municipalities more exposed to exports showed higher employment growth. A 1% increase in exports led to a 0.4% increase in formal jobs three years later. While environmentally risky jobs tend to rise more rapidly in the short run, […]
Trade uncertainty between the EU and the US – driven by the announcement of new tariffs and a volatile global economy – has raised concerns for EU businesses, workers, and policymakers. This column presents evidence on the sectoral and regional exposure of EU labour markets to exports to the US. In manufacturing – the sector […]
