Research

Abstract: This paper examines the implications of skill-mismatch in the college labor market, where we define mismatch as the difference between the specific skills acquired by different college majors and the skills demanded by firms. This research derives novel skill mismatch measures from Lightcast data (formerly known as Burning Glass Technology), which we combine with restricted-access U.S. Census Bureau data. Our analysis shows that skill mismatch converges to zero as individuals gain experience. We then estimate the impact of our skill mismatch measure on wages over the early career life cycle, highlighting how disparities in the alignment of 10 general skills can lead to different wage outcomes. Furthermore, we develop a segmented search model to analyze how skill mismatch influences both the likelihood of job-to-job transitions and wage growth patterns of college graduates. Our findings show that mismatched graduates tend to experience higher rates of turnover and slower wage progression in the early stages of their careers. This study contributes to the ongoing debate on how to improve the alignment between higher education and labor market demands.  
Presented at: 2022 UW-Madison Summer Fellowship Presentation, SEA 2023, SOLE 2024, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, University of Wisconsin Joseph L. Krislov Labor Seminar, University of Wisconsin- Whitewater*, APPAM 2024*, SEA 2024*, 2025 ASSA*
*scheduled

Abstract: More states, cities, and municipalities have passed "Ban the Box"-type laws to reduce recidivism and increase employment, but surprisingly little is known about how these laws affect justice-involved individuals and their contact with the criminal justice system. A natural question about the laws is whether the employment channel is the right way to decrease recidivism, especially for individuals with misdemeanor histories, who comprise most of justice contact. In this paper, I analyze how the Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance passed in 2016 in Austin, Texas affects recidivism rates for both those with felony histories and those with misdemeanor histories. Using Texas administrative criminal records and a difference-in-differences estimator, I find an insignificant reduction in recidivism rates for felony arrestees, but a statistically and economically significant reduction for those with misdemeanor histories. Notably, I find larger and more persistent reductions in recidivism rates for Black justice-involved individuals compared to white justice-involved individuals. For robustness, I estimate both a synthetic control difference-in-difference as well as a Cox proportional hazard model.
Presented at: APPAM 2023, SEA 2023

Abstract: In this paper, we examine how income driven repayment (IDR) impacts future student loan take-up and the implications for other lines of credit. Given selection into IDR plans, we use a judge IV design where randomly assigned student loan servicers instrument for the likelihood an individuals ends up in an IDR plan.  Using a sub-sample of the 2% sample of all individuals with credit in the US from the University of California Consumer Credit Panel (UC-CCP), we find individuals on IDR are more likely to re-enter enrollment and take out a future student loan. Additionally, we examine whether the additional student loans lead to larger balances and whether individuals are paying off a larger subset of their debt after returning to receive more education.  We evaluate whether certain groups (those accruing interest, subsidized vs unsubsidized borrowers, liquidity constrained) are more responsive to IDR and implications in terms of inequality. Lastly, we look at how changes in human capital investments may impact other wealth-generating lines of credit such as small business loans and mortgages. We find IDR causes a decline in mortgages and a decline in small business loans for individuals pursuing additional human capital investments compared to individuals who do not.
Presented at: SEA 2024*^, 2025 ASSA*^
*scheduled, ^co-author presented

Abstract: We study the relationship between parents' contact with the criminal justice system and children's academic performance. We link administrative data describing parents' criminal justice involvement to K-12 student-level administrative public school data. We find that parents' involvement with the criminal justice system is associated with worse academic performance for their children across several measures. Children of parents who have any criminal charge have lower standardized test scores, lower math and ELA proficiency rates, lower attendance rates, are more likely to experience discipline events in school, are more likely to drop out of high school, and are less likely to attempt or pass an Advanced Placement exam. We find no evidence that controlling for parents' criminal justice involvement shrinks the Black-white standardized test score gap. Furthermore, we find evidence suggesting that white students are more negatively influenced by the criminal justice contact of their parents. The magnitudes of our estimates are substantial, indicating that our results could have implications for intergenerational mobility in the United States. 

Abstract: This paper examines how spouses influence participation in active labor market programs (ALMPs), particularly focusing on the role of marital status. Building on the well-established literature on the added worker effect, I explore how household composition may influence decisions to participate in training programs and contribute to the selection process. By linking administrative unemployment insurance records with survey data, I test comparative static predictions based on both existing literature and my framework within the German context. The results suggest that married individuals are more likely to take up any training than those single or cohabitating. These findings indicates that relationship status may play a key role in ALMP participation.
Presented at: 2021UW-Madison Summer Fellowship Presentation 

Abstract: This paper studies the job search process of college graduates, focusing on how risk aversion influences search behavior. Using the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) Starting Cohort 5 (SC5) data, I show that search behavior is indeed correlated with degree of risk aversion; more risk averse individuals send more applications. To capture this behavior and gain insights into the search dynamics as graduation approaches, I develop a search model tailored to college graduates navigating their first job out of college. The model accounts for search effort (number of applications sent) and the role of risk aversion in search intensity leading up to graduation, while accounting for the preference for securing a job by graduation. Moments are matched using simulated method of moments (SMM). The model shows that individuals do not search for a long period of time. In a counterfactual analysis, I show that reducing job search costs leads to an increase in the number of applications sent and job matches with higher wages. This suggests that universities might improve job matching efficiency by subsidizing job search costs, thereby reducing the burden on students.

Presented at: 2021 University of Wisconsin Joseph L. Krislov Labor Seminar