J-PAL
J-PAL in the News
The importance of an outcomes-based approach for improving education in India
LiveMint
Dean Karlan discusses how microsavings programs can help the poor build wealth
The Washington Post
Esther Duflo explains how expectations about the future can shape decisions that the poor make today
Business Standard
New Research
Santosh Anagol, Shawn Cole, Shayak Sarkar
Evan Borkum, Fang He, Leigh Linden
Micro-Entrepreneurship Training and Asset Transfers: Short Term Impacts on the Poor
Claudia Martínez, Esteban Puentes, Jaime Ruiz-Tagle
Grant Miller, Mushfiq Mobarak
Upcoming Courses
Guatemala City, Guatemala
(Spanish) June 10–14, 2013
New Delhi, India
(English) July 8–12, 2013
Copenhagen, Denmark
(English) September 2013
Learn more about these executive education courses on randomized evaluations here.
J-PAL is Hiring
J-PAL’s next recruitment drive will accept applications between April 1–30, 2013.
To be considered for over ninety current and anticipated positions at J-PAL and partner organizations, complete the J-PAL common application byApril 30, 2013, including a statement of purpose, resumé, letters of recommendation, and a transcript.
For more information, visit the J-PAL jobs page, including the FAQ page. Remaining questions can be directed to Ben Jaques,bjaques@mit.edu.
More than 60 percent of deaths among children under five could be averted if households invested in readily available preventive health products, such as water filters or mosquito bednets. Despite these benefits, investments in preventive health remain quite low in many developing countries, in part because households may be unable to afford these products. However, in theory, households should be able to gradually save for inexpensive preventive health products.
To test innovative savings devices for the poor, J-PAL affiliates Pascaline Dupas (Stanford) and Jonathan Robinson (UC Santa Cruz) used a randomized evaluation in rural Kenya to compare the impact of four savings devices, each with a varying degree of commitment required.
They found that providing individuals with simple ways to save, even informally, can substantially increase investment in preventive health and reduce vulnerability to health emergencies. Simply providing a safe place to keep money increased health savings by 66 percent.
Watch an interview with Pascaline Dupas or read more about the evaluation. Learn more about J-PAL affiliates' research on savingsand commitment devices.
New Policy Briefcase:
Job Placement and Displacement
Career counseling for young, college-educated job seekers in France helped them find work sooner, but this improvement came at the expense of jobs for those who did not receive counseling, and it did not translate into a long-term increase in employment rates.
Read the new policy briefcase.
Research by: Bruno Crépon (CREST), Esther Duflo (MIT), Marc Gurgand (PSE), Roland Rathelot (CREST), and Philippe Zamora (CREST).
One-fifth of the world's population is between 15 and 24 years old, yet there is very little rigorous evidence about how to facilitate the often-difficult transition to adulthood for this age group. In an effort to encourage further research in this area, J-PAL has established a Youth Initiative to identify and evaluate innovative strategies to improve youth outcomes in both developing and developed countries.
The Youth Initiative co-chairs, J-PAL affiliates Marianne Bertrand (University of Chicago) and Bruno Crépon (CREST), recently completed a review paper that summarizes the existing evidence and identifies pressing open questions about policies focused on youth. The paper discusses key issues for youth, inculding life skills and decisions, health and risky behavior, and entry into the labor market. Read the executive summary of the review paper or download the full version.
For further information about the Youth Initiative or the review paper, please visit the initiative website or contact Shawn Powers, the Initiative Manager, at smpowers@mit.edu.
