Liu Yang is completing her Ph.D. degree at Economics Department at the University of Chicago. Her dissertation studies the determinants and consequences of internal migration in East Asian Economies. In one of her essays “Rural Labor Migration in China and Its Impacts on Rural Households”, she explores a comprehensive panel data of rural household survey to estimate the marginal effects of household-level variables, such as household size, human capital, landholding, taxes and fees, and wealth, on the likelihood of migration. In her other essay “Unequal Provinces But Equal Families? An Analysis of Inequality and Migration in Thailand”, she introduces a general equilibrium model to analyze the link between migration and cross-province inequality.

Liu’s other research interests include international migration, financial arrangements in developing economies and health economics.

She was an IZA Research Affiliate from January 2004 until September 2006.