Search Results
Working Paper
Ability matching and occupational choice
This paper develops and estimates an individual model of occupational choice and learning that allows for correlated learning across occupation-specific abilities. As an individual learns about their occupation-specific ability in one occupation, this experience will be broadly informative about their abilities in all occupations. Workers continually process their entire history of information, which they use to determine when to change careers, as well as which new career to go to. Endogenizing information in this manner has been computationally prohibitive in the past. I estimate the model ...
Journal Article
First person: Gerald Chertavian, Year Up Executive Director: changing minds
In 2000, a tech entrepreneur who dreamed of helping low-income young adults build solid career paths founded a unique school. Since then he has been changing minds about what people need to succeed.
Journal Article
Revitalizing central western Maine's economy
In Maine's Kennebec and Somerset counties, the Progressive Alliance for Careers and Training is working to create employment opportunities and spur economic growth. Jennifer DeChant of Coastal Enterprises, Inc., highlights some of the program's successes to date.
Journal Article
Interview with James J. Heckman
Nobel prize-winning economist James J. Heckman on discrimination, job training and early childhood education.
Working Paper
Learning and occupational sorting
This paper develops and estimates a model of occupational choice and learning that allows for correlated learning across occupation specificabilities. In the labor market, workers learn about their potential outcomes in all occupations, not just their current occupation. Based on what they learn, workers engage in directed search across occupations. The estimates indicate that sorting occurs in multiple dimensions. Workers discovering a low ability in their current occupation are significantly more likely to move to a new occupation. At the same time, workers discovering a high ability in ...
Journal Article
Needed skills versus available skills: an assessment tool is launched
Economic development often founders on a mismatch between available workforce skills and companies? needs. A tool that analyzes critical sets of labor market data not previously considered in tandem can help local governments improve planning.
Journal Article
Driving for a license
Occupational licensing continues to grow, but benefits to consumers are not obvious.