Abstract: 

Research has long been interested in technological development and its effect on human outcomes, but we know little about how automation risk affects occupational and educational choices. I used a pre-registered online experiment with an information treatment containing the automation risk for teachers, economists, office clerks, and registered nurses to investigate how automation risk affects attractiveness and the probability of entering a specific occupation. Economists and office clerks receive lower occupational attractiveness. Next, I found a decreased probability of becoming an office clerk, while there was no effect for the remaining occupations. I documented differences between men and women, as well as race. The effects are also driven by changed perceptions regarding the occupations of economists and office clerks, where they are perceived to have lower future salaries, social status, and job stability.

Additional material: Pre-analysis; Poster; Slides 

Awarded a scholarship in the Bertil Ohlin Institute competition (announcement in Swedish).  

Abstract: 

This paper uses the Spanish Christmas Lottery to provide new evidence about the relationship between wealth and health for adults and infants. Using a difference-in-difference design across provinces and time, I explore how overall health status, hospitalization rates, neonatal health, and alcohol consumption are affected by lottery outcomes. For adults, my results suggest no immediate effect on the probability of reporting good or very good health status. Instead, there seems to be a long-lasting effect in provinces that have won the lottery at least once. Moreover, hospitalization rates within provinces also remain unchanged. I rule out that exogenous lottery wealth has an economically significant impact on infant birth weight. Finally, I find that alcohol consumption is affected on the intensive margin but not at the extensive margin.

Additional material: Slides

Abstract: 

This paper aims to investigate two questions. Firstly, does correct salary information affect the probability of becoming a nurse? Secondly, are individuals affected by a halo effect when determining social status for nurses? I conducted an online experiment with 124 participants from the Department of Economics in Lund and Hedda Andersson High School in Lund. Respondents were treated with information about the correct mean salary for primary educated nurses in Sweden. The results suggest that individuals are affected by a halo effect when determining social status for nurses. The treatment has a significant positive impact when individuals determine social status for nurses, but only if individual beliefs are considered. The study also fails to show that correct salary information affects the probability of becoming a nurse. Moreover, correct salary information is essential not to create incorrect beliefs about the profession of nurses.

Awarded a scholarship in Lumell's thesis competition (announcement in Swedish).  

Abstract:

This paper revisits the arguments by Gary Becker that wealth is a determinant of marriage decisions. First, I extend the model suggested by Becker (1973) with unearned income. Next, I leverage the Spanish Christmas Lottery to estimate the causal effect of unexpected wealth on provincial marriage rates. Using a dynamic difference-in-difference design and a novel estimator, I find that the number of marriages increases in winning provinces in subsequent years after a lottery win. However, the effect is non-significant, and it seems to be heterogeneous to provincial characteristics. Despite significant estimates, I provide evidence of the direction of the effect. The results are important for policymakers in understanding the determinants of marriages. 

Abstract: 

This paper revisits the arguments by Becker (1960) that children can be considered normal goods. I exploit the Spanish Christmas Lottery to estimate the effect on provincial fertility from large exogenous wealth shocks. Using a difference-in-difference strategy and a novel estimator, I observe a modest negative change in fertility at the provincial level. Since the effect is small, I rule out an economically significant effect on provincial fertility from lottery windfall. Thus, children can be considered normal goods. The results are important for policy-makers to understand how changes in wealth affect fertility rates.

Additional material: Slides

Abstract: 

This paper examines how additional medical care impacts the 24-hour mortality of infants with very low birth weight. I combine the institutional knowledge of the medical guidelines in Spain with a regression discontinuity design to estimate the causal effect on 24-hour mortality if receiving additional health care. The findings demonstrate a large effect that additional medical attention reduces the probability of 24-hour mortality. While concerns about internal validity persist, the results are still informative and should interest policymakers.