Working Paper

• "How stable are measures of trust? ", 2022, ,with  Héloise Cloléry, Guillaume Hollard, Fabien Perez, CREST Working Papers Series No. 2022-13

Abstract: Trust is an important variable that may, however, be subject to measurement error, leading to econometric issues such as attenuation bias and spurious correlation. We use a test/retest protocol to assess idiosyncratic noise in the two main tasks that are used to elicit trust, namely survey questions and experimental games. We find that trust measures based on the trust game entail substantial random measurement error (with up to 15\% of noise), while there is virtually no noise in stated trust measures. Given the specificity of our subject pool (students in top Engineering schools) and the short period of time between the test and the retest, we consider these noise percentages as lower bounds. We also provide a sub-group analysis based on measures of cognitive ability and effort. We find substantial heterogeneity across sub-groups in trust-game behavior, but not in the survey questions. We finally discuss which measure of trust should be used, and the estimation strategies that can be applied to limit the effect of random measurement error. 

Work in progress

• "Deliver Us from Crime? Online Platforms, Gig Jobs, and Offending"  with Hugo Allouard, Grazia Cecere, Jose De Sousa, Olivier Marie 

Abstract: We investigate the impact of on-demand food delivery platforms on local employment and crime rates, exploiting temporal and geographic differences in their rollout across France. Using a staggered difference-in-differences approach, we find that the introduction of a food delivery platform in a given area significantly boosts job opportunities for unqualified and low-skilled workers, particularly among young people and individuals of migrant descent, as reflected in the increase of registered riders. This surge in gig jobs this creates is accompanied by small but significant reductions in male migrant unemployment and welfare claimant rates. Additionally, we observe substantial declines in recorded crime, particularly in violent offenses, low-skilled thefts, property destruction, and drug-related incidents. These findings suggest that the gig economy creates valuable pathways to employment for those who often face barriers to labor market entry—namely low-skilled workers, youth, and migrants—thereby encouraging their participation in lawful economic activities.

• "Benefits Cuts and Crime: Evidence from the Netherlands"  

Abstract: In recent years, European countries have largely focused on reducing their public expenditures, implying that the social assistance provided to citizens may soon be reconsidered. While extensive research has examined the effects of reduced unemployment benefits on various outcomes, there remains a significant gap in understanding the impact of cuts to other types of assistance, particularly concerning criminal behavior. This paper aims to contribute to this literature by assessing the effects of a Dutch reform that reduced assistance benefits. After 2015, young adults still residing with their parents experienced a reduction in benefits of several hundred euros per month, whereas other recipients retained their original benefit levels. The rich administrative and police-recorded data available for the Netherlands allow me to study the effect of benefit cuts on the criminal behaviors of young adults. Specifically, I estimate the impact of benefit loss, with any change in time constraints, on the probability of arrest for males aged 24–30 who live with their parents, compared to young adults living independently. Preliminary results suggest possible effects on family structures with adaptation strategies, and mixed evidence regarding changes in the likelihood of arrest for various crimes.

• "Trafics de stupéfiants et conditions socio-économiques locales: Une approche quantitative"  with Camille Hemet, Olivier Marie, Arnaud Philippe, Inès Picard, and Justin Ringo

Non-Academic Publication

• "From Guangzhou to Naples: French exports of plastic waste", 2021, , with J. Martin, I. Picard and B. Schmutz, IPP Note