So Young Kim

I am an applied microeconomist studying how policy design shapes economic behavior and policy effectiveness. My research examines how households, firms, and public institutions respond to policy incentives, with applications to housing, healthcare, and criminal justice.

My job market paper studies inclusionary zoning in Washington, D.C., combining spatial data and a structural model to examine how affordable housing requirements affect access to opportunity, residential sorting, and housing production. My other work studies how nurse staffing regulations affect hospitals’ technology adoption and how conditional early-release policies affect punishment and recidivism.

I am on the job market during the 2026-2027 academic year.