IZA - Electronic Archive

Masella

IZA Research Fellow Paolo Masella (University of Sussex) will receive the 2014 Kuznets Prize for his paper "National Identity and Ethnic Diversity", Journal of Population Economics (2013), 26 (2), pp. 437-454. The prize will be presented at the ESPE 2014 Annual Conference.

The paper was selected as the best published article of 2013 in the Journal of Population Economics. The Prize Committee included the journal's Editor-in-Chief, IZA Director Klaus F. Zimmermann, and the journal's editors, Alessandro Cigno, Erdal Tekin, and Junsen Zhang.

Read more:
- About the Kuznets prize
- Download the award-winning paper (free until July 31!)

Eichhorst | Spermann | Brown

With a number of new appointments, IZA will further expand its activities in research and policy advice.

As of January 2014, Werner Eichhorst, currently Deputy Director of Labor Policy at IZA, will become Director of Labor Policy Europe. He has a strong record of comparative labor market research and will be mainly responsible for our collaboration with various European institutions, such as the European Parliament, the European Commission, the OECD, ILO, national governments and central banks. Jo Ritzen (Maastricht University) will continue to support our European activities as IZA Senior Advisor Policy.

Alexander Spermann, currently a Director at Randstad Germany, will be appointed as IZA Director of Labor Policy Germany starting in April 2014. Before joining Randstad, he was head of the labor market department at ZEW Mannheim. He has made important contributions early on to the academic and public debate on German labor market reforms. At IZA he will coordinate the activities in policy evaluation and policy advice in Germany, with a particular focus on lifelong learning.

In March 2014, Alessio Brown will join IZA as Director of Strategy and Research Management. He has held various positions at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy and is Executive Director of the Kiel Global Economic Symposium. His research covers reform policies in welfare states. Brown will support the IZA Director in shaping and implementing the institute's global research strategy and its various activities around the globe while continuing with his research.

"We believe that these personnel decisions will underscore and enhance IZA's leading role in global labor market research and policy advice," said IZA Director Klaus F. Zimmermann. Other key management positions at IZA will remain unchanged. In addition, as recently announced, four senior scholars are coming to IZA as long-term Visiting Research Fellows.

Paul W. Miller †

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Paul W. Miller on Wednesday, November 27, 2013 in Perth, Australia, after a long illness.

Paul Miller has been an IZA Research Fellow since March 2004. He was a prolific author and co-author of papers in Labor Economics and the Economics of Education, and received numerous awards for his research. He co-authored 38 IZA Discussion Papers and, measured by paper downloads, was among the top one percent of IZA DP authors.

Paul Miller received his PhD in Economics from the Australian National University in 1982. Most of his academic career was spent at the University of Western Australia, although in 2010 he moved to Curtin University, also in Perth. He also had visiting appointments at universities in Australia, the US, Canada and England.

Although Paul's presence will be sorely missed, we shall all continue to benefit from his work.

See also: Eulogy by IZA Fellow Andrew Leigh (MP, Australia)

Hamermesh | Zimmermann

During a festive ceremony in Washington, DC, IZA Director Klaus F. Zimmermann awarded the 2013 IZA Prize in Labor Economics to Daniel S. Hamermesh (University of Texas at Austin and Royal Holloway, University of London). Hamermesh received the prestigious award, worth 50,000 euros, in recognition of his fundamental contributions to the analysis of labor demand. The appreciation speech was given by Harvard professor and 2011 IZA laureate George J. Borjas. A subsequent IZA Prize Workshop on "Frontiers in Labor Economics" gathered a number of top experts in the field to present their latest research.

According to the Prize Committee, "Hamermesh's research is characterized by a focus on thought-provoking questions, a high level of creativity, and careful combination of theoretical and empirical methods. He has shaped the way other scholars, as well as policy makers, think about some of the key issues in labor economics."

Read more:
- IZA-Pressemitteilung (PDF)
- Preisbegründung im Volltext (PDF)
- Program of the IZA Prize Ceremony and Workshop

van den Berg

IZA Program Director Gerard J. van den Berg has been elected a Fellow of the Econometric Society, an elite professional body composed of economic researchers from around the world. Founded in 1930, the Econometric Society is the globally most significant society in economic science. Its aim is to promote the integration of theoretical and empirical quantitative approaches to economic problems. The Society also publishes the leading journal Econometrica. Every year, a handful of scientists are elected as new Fellows for life.

Van den Berg's major contributions to the advancement of econometrics and labor economics proved to be decisive for his election. These concern in particular his studies on unemployment durations, job mobility, and the economic determinants of human longevity. "It is a great honor for me to have been elected Fellow," said Van den Berg. "The current Fellows who made this decision constitute a group of highly accomplished and renowned scholars."

Anti-immigration sentiment is on the rise in Europe, as countries such as Germany, Spain or the UK have reverted to a reserved position when it comes to access of immigrants, including those from new member states, to their labor markets and welfare systems. The "International Handbook on the Economics of Migration" co-edited by IZA Program Director Amelie F. Constant and IZA Director Klaus F. Zimmermann launched at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies on November 25, 2013 shows that these sentiments are unfounded.

Program of the workshop and book launch at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies:
www.iza.org/conference_files/EUEnlargement_2013/

[read more]

Hoyer | Pissarides | Zimmermann

The Luxembourg-based EIB Institute of the European Investment Bank awarded IZA Director Klaus F. Zimmermann with the first European EIB Prize for excellence in social and economic research and its implementation and diffusion. Zimmermann is honored for his lifetime scientific contribution, including academic excellence and publication record as well as impact on public policy or society at large, with specific relevance to the prize's topic, "Growth, employment and convergence, with applications to the European Union."

According to the prize committee chaired by Nobel laureate Christopher Pissarides (London School of Economics), Zimmermann's outstanding research on migration and labor market issues has "led to a better understanding of the forces at work in Europe and of suitable policy prescriptions." EIB President Werner Hoyer presented the Prize, worth 40,000 euros, during an award ceremony in Warsaw on September 19, 2013. In his acceptance speech, Zimmermann underscored the importance of free labor mobility within the EU and called for Poland's swift accession to the Eurozone.

More:
- Video of the Prize Ceremony
- IZA Newsroom: Poland should soon join the Euro
- Acceptance speech by Klaus F. Zimmermann (published as IZA Policy Paper No. 69)
- IZA press release, Sep. 19

Gerard | Kendzia | De Coen

This summer a team of researchers including Michael J. Kendzia (IZA), Maarten Gerard (IDEA Consult) and An De Coen (IDEA Consult) presented two expert studies to the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs: "Social protection rights of economically dependent self-employed workers" and "The role and activities of employment agencies". Both are topical issues in the current debate on labor market flexibility.

Opened by Alejandro Cercas (MEP), the meeting in the European Parliament in Brussels was moderated by Jean Lambert (MEP) and committee chairwoman Pervenche Berès (MEP). Both studies are now available online as part of the IZA Research Report series:

- IZA Research Report No. 54 (on dependent self-employed)
- IZA Research Report No. 57 (on employment agencies)

Kunze | Tani | Chevalier | Rettore

Over the next months, four internationally renowned scholars will join the IZA team as long-term visiting research fellows:

Astrid Kunze was a Research Associate at IZA before becoming an Associate Professor of Economics at the NHH Norwegian School of Economics in Bergen. Her research interests in labor economics include human capital, wage differentials, wage discrimination and migration. She also works in applied microeconometrics.

Massimiliano (Max) Tani is an Associate Professor of Economics at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. His works centers on skills and skilled international migration, knowledge effects of people’s movements, and the labor market for graduates. Before moving to Australia in 1999 he had a previous life in investment banking.

Arnaud Chevalier is a Senior Lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London, and an associate at the Centre for the Economics of Education (LSE) and at the Geary Institute (UCD). His principal interests are in education, health and economics of the family.

Enrico Rettore, Professor of Economic Statistics at Padova and affiliated to IRVAPP (Trento, Italy), covers a variety of fields from methodological aspects to more applied work in labor economics and program evaluation. He has extensively worked in projects for the Italian government on the evaluation of welfare and labor market programs in Italy.

The most recent volume of Research in Labor Economics is now available. Dedicated to "Labor Market Issues in China", the volume is co-edited by IZA Research Director Corrado Giulietti, IZA Deputy Program Director Konstantinos Tatsiramos and IZA Director Klaus F. Zimmermann.

After three decades of economic reform, China is experiencing substantial demographic changes and a steady structural transformation toward a market economy. These transitions pose major challenges for the Chinese labor market, which are at the center of the booming academic and policy research in recent years. Presenting fresh knowledge on labor market issues in China, the new RLE volume contains six original research articles which offer insights and answers to questions such as: How does the expansion of higher education affect the employment prospects of young Chinese workers? What is the impact of rural migration on the occupational choices of those left-behind? How has public-sector restructuring affected occupation mobility across gender? How has social insurance coverage in urban China evolved over time, and how can participation be enhanced? And finally, how can the rural pension scheme be reformed to address the low participation rate especially among younger workers?

[view table of contents]

N. Pestel

A recent contribution to the IZA-Standpunkte series cautions against overly optimistic expectations with regard to job creation through Germany's renewable energy turnaround. To date, there is no reliable scientific evidence on whether additional jobs can be expected from the transition to a green economy. Both a precise definition of "green jobs" and access to the relevant micro data would be essential for a sound judgment. Moreover, it remains unclear to what extent the green economic transition might also threaten "non-green" jobs. IZA expert Nico Pestel, who authored the study, says that "research on 'green jobs' is still at a very preliminary stage. However, the existing evidence suggests that much of the euphoria expressed by green energy proponents is overblown. I don't think Germany will see a 'green job miracle' any time soon."

Read also:
IZA Newsroom contribution by Nico Pestel
Complete study (in German) (PDF)

On July 4-5, 2013, the fourth IZA/OECD Employment Seminar took place at the OECD headquarters in Paris. Jointly organized by Klaus F. Zimmermann and Werner Eichhorst from IZA and Stefano Scarpetta and Mark Keese from OECD, the seminar brought together about 50 speakers and other participants from academia, policy-makers and European and international institutions. The topic of this year's event was, first, an in-depth analyis of most recent developments of labor markets in OECD countries with a particular focus on those European countries that currently show severe and persistent unemployment, most notably amongst young people.

In a second step, recent labor market reforms regarding employment protection, unemployment benefits, active labour market policies and wage setting were discussed along with further initiatives to promote youth employment a stronger development of vocational training systems establishing a bridge between school and work. While there was strong support to use the current crisis to promote institutional change and structural reforms, participants of the seminar also addressed the issue of how to complement medium-term structural reforms with more short-term measures to alleviate the problem of high youth unemployment. In this context, the appropriate and effective design and delivery of active labor market policies – especially in the framework of the EU Youth Guarantee – was considered to be of crucial importance.

[view conference program]

Ambassador Murphy | IZA Director Zimmermann

Against the backdrop of the negotiations for a transatlantic trade agreement, the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, Philip D. Murphy, was invited to give a speech on the future of transatlantic cooperation at the IZA Policy Fellow Meeting in Berlin on May 28, 2013.

Murphy stressed that the U.S. and Europe are facing the same complex challenges such as climate change, energy, the Euro, budget deficits or demographic issues. Closer economic cooperation must also tackle many of these shared problems. Murphy underlined the importance of immediate, short-term actions to solve some of the most pressing issues. But he also pointed out that times of crises have always been followed by times of prosperity, and it is equally important to stick by a long-term agenda not based on a trend of the moment. Quoting President Obama's State of the Union address, the Ambassador said, "Today's world presents not just dangers, not just threats, it presents opportunities."

For the U.S., Murphy sees new opportunities in manufacturing, with potential benefits from copying the German system of vocational training and bringing together science and industry to boost innovation. He also stated out that the prospect of U.S. energy independence due to shale gas drilling not only makes U.S. firms more competitive but also has a broader global relevance. The Ambassador warned that forecasts of future technological change can be "wildly wrong", but said he believes "that human innovation and creativity will continue – and that it will be for the good of all woman and mankind."

With regard to the U.S.-German relationship, Murphy said, "I think Chancellor Merkel deserves a lot of credit for advancing the transatlantic partnership. She and President Obama agree that whether we are talking about our developed transatlantic economies or the dynamic emerging economies in the Far East or the most impoverished regions of our world, economic progress enriches us all. Why? Because not only does it create new markets and a more stable world order, quite simply it's also the right and the smart thing to do."

Read more:
- Full text of the speech
- Article on Ambassador Murphy in Süddeutsche Zeitung, July 4, 2013 (in German)

Scarpetta

Stefano Scarpetta, IZA Program Director for Employment and Development, has been appointed as the new OECD Director for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, the highest ranked position for a labor economist at the OECD. He succeeds IZA Research Fellow John P. Martin who is retiring.

IZA maintains close ties with the OECD, which have led to a number joint research projects and policy-oriented events including the IZA/OECD Employment Seminar and, most recently, the IZA/OECD/World Bank Conference on Safety Nets and Benefit Dependence. "I very much look forward to continuing the close and effective collaboration between my department and IZA and hopefully foster it even further," said Scarpetta. He will also be responsible for coordinating the OECD's work on health issues and international migration.

Zhao | Evans | Zimmermann

Richard W. Evans (Brigham Young University), Yingyao Hu (Johns Hopkins University) and Zhong Zhao (Renmin University of China and IZA) received the 6th Kuznets Prize for their paper "The fertility effect of catastrophe: US hurricane births", which was selected as the best published article in the Journal of Population Economics during the period 2010-2012. The Prize was awarded by the journal's Editor-in-Chief, IZA Director Klaus F. Zimmermann, during the ESPE 2013 conference in Aarhus, Denmark. The award-winning paper originally appeared as IZA DP No. 2975.

[More about the Kuznets Prize]

On June 25, IZA Director Klaus F. Zimmermann presented to the European Commission in Brussels a report on "Migration from the Eastern Partnership Countries to the European Union - Options for a Better Future". The report summarizes the findings of a large-scale research project resulting in eleven country studies and two general reports focusing on policy options and a cost-benefit analysis of labor mobility between the EaP and EU countries.

The final report concludes that (i) the balance of costs and benefits is positive for both sending and receiving countries; (ii) costs can be reduced, and benefits maximized, by the use of appropriate policies that facilitate mobility and integration, and that help manage the economic consequences of large remittance flows; (iii) labor migrants from the EaP countries could help the EU member states fill skills gaps as the demographic transition intensifies in Europe.

[read more in IZA Newsroom]

Daniel S. Hamermesh

During this year's annual meeting of the Society of Labor Economists (SOLE) in Boston, IZA Research Fellow Daniel S. Hamermesh (University of Texas at Austin and Royal Holloway University of London) received the prestigious Mincer Award, which honors a lifetime of contributions to the field of labor economics.

Daniel Hamermesh has been closely affiliated with IZA since its foundation in 1998 and has contributed a great deal to the institute's success. He coordinated IZA's research activities on The Future of Labor as Program Director for a decade before serving as Director of Research for two years. He has organized numerous conferences and workshops, above all the highly successful IZA/SOLE Transatlantic Meetings. Over the past years he has continued to spend extended periods at IZA as a Visiting Research Fellow.

Hamermesh specializes in labor demand, social programs, academic labor markets and unusual applications in everyday life. Most recently he has focused his research on the economic benefits of beauty. His book "Beauty Pays" demonstrates how society favors the beautiful – and how better-looking people experience higher salaries and benefits in all aspects of life. Hamermesh teaches theory in a way that makes economics useful in everyday life. He applies economic principles to various topics in his contribution to the Freakonomics blog and the IZA Newsroom - see his recent post on minimum wages.

Kendzia | Berès | Eichhorst | Gerard

A team of researchers including among others Werner Eichhorst and Michael J. Kendzia (IZA) and Maarten Gerard (IDEA Consult) presented an expert study on "Combining the entry of young people in the labor market with the retention of older workers" to the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs on May 6. The session in the European Parliament in Brussels was led by committee chairwoman Pervenche Berès, MEP (see photo).

The study provides an overview of the employment situation of young and old workers in the EU Member States, setting out the most recent developments during the crisis and dealing with policies implemented to promote the employment of both groups. The evidence collected shows that there is no competition between young and older workers on the labor market. During the presentation of the study the researchers stressed that EU policy-makers should aim at supporting structural or general policies to enhance the functioning of EU labor markets.

[Download study - PDF]

On May 20, the World Bank held its "Jobs and Shared Prosperity Day" [view program and pictures], organized by the Jobs Knowledge Platform (JKP) to which IZA contributes. The Bank-wide event brought together development practitioners and researchers working across different approaches, sectors and disciplines to exchange insights, and learn from one another. The day consisted of a high-level debate on jobs and shared prosperity, as well as parallel sessions on crucial issues such as youth employment, jobs and the crisis, enterprise dynamics, jobs and rights, skills, job quality, and gender.

During an awards ceremony and lunch, IZA Director Klaus F. Zimmermann honored the winners of the JKP's "Experience from the Field" (EFF) Contest. EFF showcases projects aimed at creating jobs and improving employment opportunities. The contest entries feed into a searchable database, encouraging an active exchange of ideas. The $5,000 award funded by IZA is being granted in three categories: "Most Promising Approach," "Most Recommended (Most Popular) Project," and "Best Addresses Political Economy and Implementation Challenges." The picture shows Zimmermann and Jaime Saavedra (Acting Vice President, PREM, World Bank) with the winners of the first category.

Read more about the award-winning projects.

A French-German team of prominent economists including IZA Director Klaus F. Zimmermann and IZA Fellows Pierre Cahuc (Ecole Polytechnique) and Stéphane Carcillo (University of Paris 1 - Panthéon-Sorbonne) has presented an expert report to French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault which outlines ways to fight the alarmingly high rate of youth unemployment in the EU's second-largest country. The recommendations include the implementation of effective activation measures and a dual system of vocational training as is successfully practiced in Germany.

In France, currently about 1.9 million young people under the age of 30 are not in employment, education or training. This corresponds to an average rate of 17 percent over the past decade. Within the EU, only the crisis countries of Southern Europe (Italy, Spain and Greece) fare worse in terms of youth unemployment. The future prospects of French youth are increasingly dire: Half of the unemployed no longer even actively search for a job, according to the report. "This is a socially explosive situation. Politicians must act now to avert a lost generation," warns Zimmermann.

Read more in the IZA Newsroom.

A decade ago the German labor market was regarded as a sick patient. Today it is performing exceptionally well and has been remarkably resilient to the financial and euro crisis. This must be attributed at least in part to the courageous "Agenda 2010" labor market reforms, which were introduced – against massive resistance – in March 2003. From the very beginning, IZA has constructively supported and scientifically evaluated this reform process. Today, ten years later, it has become obvious that the "Agenda 2010" project has left a lasting positive mark on the German labor market.

A number of studies by IZA experts show that these measures have in many areas improved the functioning of the German employment system and the effectiveness of policy programs. As a result, the employment rate has risen substantially since the mid-2000s, particularly with many new jobs created in the service sector. This would not have been possible without a more flexible labor market and a consistent activation of the unemployed.

IZA has contributed its expertise in various ways: Beyond publicly supporting the reform process and providing policy advice, IZA researchers have extensively studied the effectiveness of several reform components. In light of the predominantly positive results, IZA experts are highly critical of recent plans by policymakers to roll back some of the reforms.

[read more]

Director of Research Corrado Giulietti was invited to speak at the conference "Immigration – a source of wealth and duties for Europe", an event co-organized in Brussels on March 15 by the European Economic and Social Committee, the Council of Europe, and the French Economic, Social and Environmental Council.

The conference featured two thematic sessions on the role of immigration for the European economy and on issues related to immigration and human rights, as well as an expert panel discussing risks and opportunities of immigration. In the panel discussion, Giulietti presented the empirical results from recent IZA projects, including the Study on Active Inclusion of Migrants (available as IZA Research Report No. 43). He outlined two key findings: first, migrants in general exhibit lower rates of welfare receipt than natives, and second, there is no evidence that unemployment benefit spending influences immigration flows to the EU. Giulietti also stressed the need to understand how immigration can alleviate key problems of the European labor market, such as growing skill shortages and demographic change.

For more information see the EESC official website.

On February 18, 2013, the Federal Minister of the Interior presented the recent number of immigrants to Germany under the EU Blue Card system and praised the initiative as successful. IZA Director Klaus F. Zimmermann, in contrast, says the Blue Card falls short of the mark. Zimmermann: "I don't share the federal government’s euphoria about a few thousand Blue Card holders. While the numbers may seem surprisingly high at first glance, in fact more than two-thirds of these immigrants were already in the country. And since the Blue Card modified and replaced previous regulations, immigrants who came under the old rules would also have to be discounted. Ultimately, what remains of the group of about 4,000 Blue Card holders is no more than 1,000 newly attracted skilled workers. This does not at all solve the demographic problem that Germany's workforce will shrink by more than six million by 2030. The Blue Card also falls short because it does not seem to have created incentives for greater intra-European labor mobility. Other countries, including European neighbors, have already implemented clear criteria for skilled labor immigration, such as qualifications, job experience, language skills and age. A transparent points system, paired with attractive integration measures, would be the right choice for Germany as well."

Zimmermann | Soufas

On February 27, 2013, IZA Director Klaus F. Zimmermann signed a Memorandum of Understanding about a collaboration between IZA and Temple University in research and education together with the Chairman of the Economics Department at Temple University, IZA Fellow Michael L. Bognanno, and the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University, Teresa Scott Soufas. The agreement includes the regular exchange of researchers and Ph.D. students.

M. Hoekstra | S. Carrell | K. F. Zimmermann

At the traditional IZA reception during the Annual Meeting of the Allied Social Science Associations (ASSA), held in San Diego in January 2013, IZA Director Klaus F. Zimmermann presented the 2012 IZA Young Labor Economist Award to Scott Carrell (UC Davis) and Mark Hoekstra (Texas A&M) for their article "Externalities in the Classroom: How Children Exposed to Domestic Violence Affect Everyone's Kids" (American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2010).

The award-winning paper studies whether children from troubled families generate negative spillovers on the educational achievements of their peers. The authors constructed a unique dataset in which children’s school records are matched to domestic violence cases from court records in a Florida county. They find that about 5% of the children in their sample are exposed to domestic violence. This implies that about 70% of the classes have at least one kid that has been exposed to domestic violence. The academic records show that children from troubled homes not only have lower test scores themselves, but they also decrease the performance of their peers. There is a statistically significant reduction in math and reading test scores and a significant increase in misbehavior at school, relative to classes without troubled children. Troubled boys and children from low-income families are the main drivers of these negative spillovers: Adding one more troubled boy to a classroom of 20 students increases the number of disciplinary infractions committed by other boys by 40 percent. These findings have important implications for education policy. They provide clean and strong evidence of the "bad apple" effect. The paper also shows that addressing family violence has a double dividend – while improving the life of the most troubled students, it can also positively affect these children's peers.

[More about the YLEA]

On January 22, 1963, France and Germany signed their historic friendship treaty. But after 50 years, both countries still go separate ways in the core areas of economic and social policy. IZA Director Klaus F. Zimmermann: "The current European financial and growth crisis that threatens the cohesion of the European community can only be resolved convincingly if two leading powers, France and Germany, coordinate their strategies in fields of economic, financial and labor market policy." This includes harmonization of tax policies and budget plans, as well as coordinated labor market policies with common standards in vocational training. In this context, IZA also contributes to the report of the French government to tackle youth unemployment and to improve vocational training.

IZA Director Zimmermann: "It must be applauded that France is finally aiming at reforms for a more flexible labor market, similar to Germany’s Agenda 2010." Vice versa, Germany could learn a lot from France when it comes to family policy strategies to cope with demographic change. "The 50th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty should remind us that Europe can only 'function' if the Paris-Berlin axis is functional," said Zimmermann.

Read the IZA press release (in German).

S. Polachek

The Research in Labor Economics series, co-edited by IZA since 2007, celebrates its 35th anniversary with a retrospective edition containing 20 of the most influential RLE articles along with new introductory prefatory updates. Written by the original authors, these new prefaces emphasize recent developments that each article might have inspired, and they also discuss remaining unanswered questions. Solomon Polachek, who has edited the series since 1995, presented the anniversary volume at the IZA reception in San Diego (see article below).

Since its inception in 1977, the RLE series has published over 350 articles encompassing a wide range of themes in labor economics, such as labor supply, work effort, schooling, on-the-job training, earnings distribution, discrimination, migration, and the effects of government policies on worker well-being. It aims to apply economic theory and econometrics to analyze important policy-related questions, often with an international focus.

More information:
- Preface of the anniversary volume
- RLE homepage