Research

My research primarily focused on applied microeconomics, particularly labor and urban economics. I have a broad interest in topics concerning individuals’ behavior in a city system. My current research focuses on the job match of college-educated workers, specifically how labor market size affects job match quality. Using advanced empirical econometrics and American Community Surveys, I examine individuals’ and families’ economic and social decisions and results. You can find my research statement here.

Working papers

Job Match Quality of College Graduates: The Effect of Major-Specific Market Size (JMP)

Previous theoretical research suggests that larger cities improve job matching. Yet, empirical evidence on this relationship is mixed. This paper develops a novel measure of major-specific labor market size for college graduates and examines its effect on job match quality. I find that major-specific labor market size is predictive of higher job match quality. However, the overall labor market size has an inconsistent effect on job match quality. Moreover, I find the effects of major-specific labor market size tend to be more significant for men and younger workers.

Match quality, city size, and the extent of the market for power couples

In light of Costa and Kahn's (2000) finding that power couples tend to reside in large metropolitan areas, it is hypothesized that a co-location challenge unique to dual-career, highly educated spouses must be resolved. Simon (2019) provides evidence that larger, more educated towns offer higher husband-and-wife career outcomes, as assessed by occupational attainment, for college-educated wives and husbands. Using data from the 2010-2019 American Community Surveys, I evaluate the job match quality among power couples using a new measure of market size, the major-specific labor market size I create in my job market paper. Using a linear probability model with area and degree fields as fixed effects, preliminary findings indicate that increasing major-specific labor market size that is related to the wife has a larger and more positive effect on the job match quality of power couples while increasing major-specific labor market size that is related to the husband has no discernible effect.

Work in Progress 

Major-specific Labor Market Size, Job Match Quality on Urban Wage Premium

The Difference in Job Match Quality, a Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition Approach

The effect of China's Employment Quota System For Disabled People on Their Employment

A Simple Analysis of Why Most of the States Use "Winner-Take-All" System in Presidential Election