Labor Economics (Thai MA)

Course Information

Instructor

• • Dr. Jessica Vechbanyongratana

  • ECON 519

  • Email: ajarn.jessica@gmail.com

Course meetings

• Time: Thursdays 13:00-16:00

• Classroom: ECON 415/1

Office hours

• Students may sign up for office hours through Calendly. (I will update the link shortly)

Syllabus

Suggested Textbook

• Ehrenberg, Ronald G. and Smith, Robert S., 2012. Modern Labor Economics Theory and Public Policy. Eleventh Edition, Cornell University. Publisher: Pearson. 

Graded Work

Weekly readings and paper summaries  (8 @ 5% - note that there will be more than 8 summaries. I will count the 8 highest grades.)

Each week I assign an academic paper. You are required to write a 1-2 page summary of the  assigned paper. All summaries must be submitted via Google Forms (links below) prior to class. Late assignments will not be accepted. The summaries need to include:

• 1. A concise statement of the authors' research question.

  2. A summary of how the authors answer the question (what data and methods do they use?).

  3. A summary of the authors' findings (please do not copy and paste from the paper; you should summarize in your own words).

  4. A personal reflection on the topic/results. For example, does the paper bring up an important issue in your home country? Are the results plausible and universally applicable? Does it bring to mind current issues in Thailand?

In-class Assignment (10%)

Midterm Exam (25%)

Final Exam (25%)

Lectures and Readings (Updated January 12)

• January 12 - Introduction to Labor Economics and Labor Demand

  • Gruber, Jonathan. “The Incidence of Mandated Maternity Benefits,” The American Economic Review 84, no. 3 (1994): 622 – 641. (No paper summary the first week)

• **January 16 Make-up class 13:00-16:00** - Attend academic seminars given by visiting professors (Room TBA)

• January 19 - No class

• January 26 - Labor Demand Elasticities

  • Seltzer, Andrew J. "The effects of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 on the southern seamless hosiery and lumber industries." The Journal of Economic History 57, no. 2 (1997): 396-415. 

• February 2 - Frictions in the Labor Market

  • Kahn, Lawrence M. "The impact of employment protection mandates on demographic temporary employment patterns: International microeconomic evidence." The Economic Journal 117, no. 521 (2007): F333-F356.

• February 9 - Labor Supply 1

  • Meyer, Bruce D., W. Kip Viscusi, and David L. Durbin. "Workers' compensation and injury duration: evidence from a natural experiment." The American economic review (1995): 322-340.

• February 16 - Labor Supply 2

  • Paweenawat, Sasiwimon Warunsiri, and Jessica Vechbanyongratana. "The impact of a universal allowance for older persons on labor force participation: The case of Thailand." Population Review 54, no. 1 (2015). 

• February 23 - Compensating Wage Differentials and assignment/midterm review

  • Galenson, David. "Immigration and the colonial labor system an analysis of the length of indenture." Explorations in Economic History 14, no. 4 (1977): 360-377. 

• March 2 - Pay and Productivity and midterm review

  • No homework for this week

• March 9 - Midterm

• March 16 - Human Capital: Education and Training 

  • Vivatsurakit, Tanthaka, and Jessica Vechbanyongratana. "Returns to education among the informally employed in Thailand." Asian Pacific Economic Literature 34, no. 1 (2020): 26-43. (Link for homework submission)

• March 23 - Access to Education

  • Lounkaew, Kiatanantha. "Explaining urban–rural differences in educational achievement in Thailand: Evidence from PISA literacy data." Economics of Education Review 37 (2013): 213-225. (Link for homework submission)

• March 30  - COVID and Youth Employment

  • Trends, characteristics and COVID-19 impact on youth not in employment, education or training (NEET) in Thailand (Link for homework submission)

• April 6 - Chakri Day - No class

• April 13 - Songkran - No class

• April 20 - Gender and Discrimination 1

  • Nakavachara, Voraprapa. "Superior female education: Explaining the gender earnings gap trend in Thailand." Journal of Asian Economics 21, no. 2 (2010): 198-218. (Link for homework submission)

• April 27 - Gender and Discrimination 2

  • Paweenawat, Sasiwimon Warunsiri, and Lusi Liao. "Parenthood penalty and gender wage gap: Recent evidence from Thailand." Journal of Asian Economics 78 (2022): 101435. (Link for homework submission)

• May 4 - Coronation Day - No class

• Final Exam (Date TBA)