MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
@mitiwer.bsky.social
IWER is a multidisciplinary hub for the study of work & employment, housed at the MIT Sloan School of Management but including researchers from other parts of MIT. Learn more: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/institute-work-and-employment-research/about-iwer
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Don't miss the new issue of our @mitiwer.bsky.social newsletter, which includes a focus on research about upward economic mobility: tinyurl.com/2emkdxyt
Reposted by MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
Cultivating confidence and craft across disciplines news.mit.edu/2025/cultiva...
Professors Rohit Karnik and Nathan Wilmers are honored as “Committed to Caring.”
Professors Rohit Karnik and Nathan Wilmers are honored as “Committed to Caring.”
December 5, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Cultivating confidence and craft across disciplines news.mit.edu/2025/cultiva...
Professors Rohit Karnik and Nathan Wilmers are honored as “Committed to Caring.”
Professors Rohit Karnik and Nathan Wilmers are honored as “Committed to Caring.”
Reposted by MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
To first-gen or low-income background respondents who answered that their socioeconomic background disadvantaged them, we asked about mechanisms.
Again overwhelmingly, factors like: academic norms, the hidden curriculum, and limited access to networks or mentorship show up
Again overwhelmingly, factors like: academic norms, the hidden curriculum, and limited access to networks or mentorship show up
December 9, 2025 at 4:36 PM
To first-gen or low-income background respondents who answered that their socioeconomic background disadvantaged them, we asked about mechanisms.
Again overwhelmingly, factors like: academic norms, the hidden curriculum, and limited access to networks or mentorship show up
Again overwhelmingly, factors like: academic norms, the hidden curriculum, and limited access to networks or mentorship show up
Reposted by MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
Perceived impact of someone's own socioeconomic background on their academic career outcomes *during or after* their PhD
including initial placement after graduation, research productivity, grant and fellowship opps, long-term career trajectory (e.g. getting tenure)
including initial placement after graduation, research productivity, grant and fellowship opps, long-term career trajectory (e.g. getting tenure)
December 9, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Perceived impact of someone's own socioeconomic background on their academic career outcomes *during or after* their PhD
including initial placement after graduation, research productivity, grant and fellowship opps, long-term career trajectory (e.g. getting tenure)
including initial placement after graduation, research productivity, grant and fellowship opps, long-term career trajectory (e.g. getting tenure)
Reposted by MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
Reasons why people thought first-gen college grads would get worse academic placements than their PhD classmates from more advantaged backgrounds:
very overwhelmingly:
1. Hidden curriculum
2. Networks and mentorship
3. Geog, financial, time constraints
4. Soft skills and/or bias
very overwhelmingly:
1. Hidden curriculum
2. Networks and mentorship
3. Geog, financial, time constraints
4. Soft skills and/or bias
December 9, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Reasons why people thought first-gen college grads would get worse academic placements than their PhD classmates from more advantaged backgrounds:
very overwhelmingly:
1. Hidden curriculum
2. Networks and mentorship
3. Geog, financial, time constraints
4. Soft skills and/or bias
very overwhelmingly:
1. Hidden curriculum
2. Networks and mentorship
3. Geog, financial, time constraints
4. Soft skills and/or bias
Reposted by MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
1/ As we reflect on 2025, we rounded up the top 10 stories from the EG website that stood out the most this year. See what made the list. 🧵 Starting at 🔟, @mitiwer.bsky.social's Erin Kelly breaks down drivers of poor job quality & policy responses to address them:
America’s job-quality crisis and how to revive workers’ pay, dignity, job advancement, and economic well-being
This essay focuses on the drivers of the job-quality crisis and concrete policy responses to address those drivers.
equitablegrowth.org
December 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM
1/ As we reflect on 2025, we rounded up the top 10 stories from the EG website that stood out the most this year. See what made the list. 🧵 Starting at 🔟, @mitiwer.bsky.social's Erin Kelly breaks down drivers of poor job quality & policy responses to address them:
“I believe that we can work to invent a future where artificial intelligence extends what humans can do to improve organizations and the world.”—Richard M. Locke, John C Head III Dean @mitsloan.bsky.social, in new essay: mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-t...
Choose the human path for AI | MIT Sloan
To realize the greatest gains from artificial intelligence, we must make the future of work more human, not less.
mitsloan.mit.edu
December 16, 2025 at 4:39 PM
“I believe that we can work to invent a future where artificial intelligence extends what humans can do to improve organizations and the world.”—Richard M. Locke, John C Head III Dean @mitsloan.bsky.social, in new essay: mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-t...
New article on pitfalls of AI use in hiring, by Emilio J. Castilla @mitiwer.bsky.social @mitsloan.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/bdhpmcv2
AI is reinventing hiring — with the same old biases. Here’s how to avoid that trap | MIT Sloan
The AI hiring revolution doesn’t have to be a story of automated bias, argues MIT Sloan’s Emilio J. Castilla. Tough questions and constant monitoring can lead to fairer systems.
tinyurl.com
December 16, 2025 at 3:19 PM
New article on pitfalls of AI use in hiring, by Emilio J. Castilla @mitiwer.bsky.social @mitsloan.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/bdhpmcv2
Reposted by MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
In The Digitalist Papers, @davidautor.bsky.social and Neil Thompson envision potential scenarios for how AI will transform work.
“Automation’s impacts on both employment and wages depend not only on how many tasks are automated, but which," they write.
www.digitalistpapers.com/vol2/autorth...
“Automation’s impacts on both employment and wages depend not only on how many tasks are automated, but which," they write.
www.digitalistpapers.com/vol2/autorth...
Beyond Job Displacement: How AI Could Reshape the Value of Human Expertise — Digitalist Papers
Many observers fear that the pursuit of transformative AI or artificial general intelligence (AGI) presents a challenge to the existing global order. Their worry is that the US and China, the two glob...
www.digitalistpapers.com
December 15, 2025 at 3:24 PM
In The Digitalist Papers, @davidautor.bsky.social and Neil Thompson envision potential scenarios for how AI will transform work.
“Automation’s impacts on both employment and wages depend not only on how many tasks are automated, but which," they write.
www.digitalistpapers.com/vol2/autorth...
“Automation’s impacts on both employment and wages depend not only on how many tasks are automated, but which," they write.
www.digitalistpapers.com/vol2/autorth...
Check out our new online compendium of recent research by @mitiwer.bsky.social faculty on factors that affect upward economic mobility: tinyurl.com/4uw7syhj
What Facilitates—or Impedes—Upward Economic Mobility: An IWER Research Compendium | MIT Sloan
What facilitates or impedes upward economic mobility for employees? This compendium highlights research and analysis on this topic by MIT IWER scholars.
tinyurl.com
December 15, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Check out our new online compendium of recent research by @mitiwer.bsky.social faculty on factors that affect upward economic mobility: tinyurl.com/4uw7syhj
Don't miss the new issue of our @mitiwer.bsky.social newsletter, which includes a focus on research about upward economic mobility: tinyurl.com/2emkdxyt
December 12, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Don't miss the new issue of our @mitiwer.bsky.social newsletter, which includes a focus on research about upward economic mobility: tinyurl.com/2emkdxyt
Professor Emilio J. Castilla @mitiwer.bsky.social @mitsloan.bsky.social was recently profiled in the Spanish newspaper @elmundo.es.web.brid.gy for his work on #meritocracy: www.elmundo.es/papel/el-mun...
Este profesor del MIT sabe por qué falla la meritocracia: "Invertir en contactos es tan importante como invertir en educación""
Emilio J. Castilla teme que, tras 30 años en Estados Unidos, su español se haya oxidado en cuanto a precisión. No es así. Este catalán, catedrático de Gestión Empresarial en...
www.elmundo.es
December 12, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Professor Emilio J. Castilla @mitiwer.bsky.social @mitsloan.bsky.social was recently profiled in the Spanish newspaper @elmundo.es.web.brid.gy for his work on #meritocracy: www.elmundo.es/papel/el-mun...
Read about a day in the life of a PhD student at @mitiwer.bsky.social, Alex Busch: news.mit.edu/2025/day-in-...
December 12, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Read about a day in the life of a PhD student at @mitiwer.bsky.social, Alex Busch: news.mit.edu/2025/day-in-...
Nice new profile of MIT Professors @natewilmers.bsky.social @mitiwer.bsky.social @mitsloan.bsky.social & Rohit Karnik of MIT Mechanical Engineering, for their skill at mentoring graduate students: tinyurl.com/yajarpas
Cultivating confidence and craft across disciplines
Rohit Karnik and Nathan Wilmers were selected as “Committed to Caring.” These MIT professors encourage their students, advocate for meaningful, interesting research, and participate in their research ...
tinyurl.com
December 8, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Nice new profile of MIT Professors @natewilmers.bsky.social @mitiwer.bsky.social @mitsloan.bsky.social & Rohit Karnik of MIT Mechanical Engineering, for their skill at mentoring graduate students: tinyurl.com/yajarpas
“There’s public interest at stake here. We want to encourage employees, and certainly those who represent employees, to speak honestly and candidly on issues of concern to the workforce and the people they serve.”--Tom Kochan @mitiwer.bsky.social @mitsloan.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/y4xfsjzx
‘Squashing people’s voices’: Boston federal worker who decried SNAP cuts on MSNBC now faces firing by Trump administration - The Boston Globe
A USDA employee in Boston says the Trump administration is retaliating against her for speaking out.
tinyurl.com
November 19, 2025 at 3:26 PM
“There’s public interest at stake here. We want to encourage employees, and certainly those who represent employees, to speak honestly and candidly on issues of concern to the workforce and the people they serve.”--Tom Kochan @mitiwer.bsky.social @mitsloan.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/y4xfsjzx
Reposted by MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
I *highly* recommend @brankomilan.bsky.social and @laywilliams.bsky.social superb books on the history of thought on economic inequality.
And if you want to see them discussing these topics, with @undercoverhist.bsky.social @johncassidysays.bsky.social and myself, video below.
And if you want to see them discussing these topics, with @undercoverhist.bsky.social @johncassidysays.bsky.social and myself, video below.
The Stone Centre Inequality Dialogue recap & full replay are now live. Huge thanks to @brankomilan.bsky.social, @laywilliams.bsky.social, @johncassidysays.bsky.social, @undercoverhist.bsky.social & @annastansbury.bsky.social for your contributions & to all who joined us. Recap: bit.ly/Dialogue-recap
November 12, 2025 at 4:41 PM
I *highly* recommend @brankomilan.bsky.social and @laywilliams.bsky.social superb books on the history of thought on economic inequality.
And if you want to see them discussing these topics, with @undercoverhist.bsky.social @johncassidysays.bsky.social and myself, video below.
And if you want to see them discussing these topics, with @undercoverhist.bsky.social @johncassidysays.bsky.social and myself, video below.
Reposted by MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
Last was a star-studded panel on inequality in the history of economic & political thought at @stoneeconucl.bsky.social w/@brankomilan.bsky.social, @laywilliams.bsky.social, @johncassidysays.bsky.social, @undercoverhist.bsky.social & @annastansbury.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5N_... (6/6)
Stone Centre Dialogue on Inequality in the History of Economic and Political Thought
YouTube video by Stone Centre at UCL
www.youtube.com
November 6, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Last was a star-studded panel on inequality in the history of economic & political thought at @stoneeconucl.bsky.social w/@brankomilan.bsky.social, @laywilliams.bsky.social, @johncassidysays.bsky.social, @undercoverhist.bsky.social & @annastansbury.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5N_... (6/6)
Reposted by MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
Calling anyone interested in inequality and why so many economists ignored it for so long!
Watch here for the illuminating thoughts of @brankomilan.bsky.social, @laywilliams.bsky.social,
@undercoverhist.bsky.social, @annastansbury.bsky.social
Thanks to Wendy Carlin for asking me to moderate.
Watch here for the illuminating thoughts of @brankomilan.bsky.social, @laywilliams.bsky.social,
@undercoverhist.bsky.social, @annastansbury.bsky.social
Thanks to Wendy Carlin for asking me to moderate.
The Stone Centre Inequality Dialogue recap & full replay are now live. Huge thanks to @brankomilan.bsky.social, @laywilliams.bsky.social, @johncassidysays.bsky.social, @undercoverhist.bsky.social & @annastansbury.bsky.social for your contributions & to all who joined us. Recap: bit.ly/Dialogue-recap
November 12, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Calling anyone interested in inequality and why so many economists ignored it for so long!
Watch here for the illuminating thoughts of @brankomilan.bsky.social, @laywilliams.bsky.social,
@undercoverhist.bsky.social, @annastansbury.bsky.social
Thanks to Wendy Carlin for asking me to moderate.
Watch here for the illuminating thoughts of @brankomilan.bsky.social, @laywilliams.bsky.social,
@undercoverhist.bsky.social, @annastansbury.bsky.social
Thanks to Wendy Carlin for asking me to moderate.
Reposted by MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
"Three Key Takeaways" from the outstanding @stoneeconucl.bsky.social dialogue on inequality in the history of economic and political thought. With @brankomilan.bsky.social, @johncassidysays.bsky.social, @annastansbury.bsky.social, and @undercoverhist.bsky.social.
Stone Centre Online Inequality Dialogue: Three key takeaways
The discussion centred on the tension between philosophical and economic approaches to inequality, and the shift from historical concerns to modern data-driven analysis.
www.stone-econ.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:52 PM
"Three Key Takeaways" from the outstanding @stoneeconucl.bsky.social dialogue on inequality in the history of economic and political thought. With @brankomilan.bsky.social, @johncassidysays.bsky.social, @annastansbury.bsky.social, and @undercoverhist.bsky.social.
Reposted by MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
Are decredentialed jobs a route to upward mobility?: Lyttelton, Thomas; Nelson, Dylan; Wilmers, Nathan
NEP/RePEc link
to paper
d.repec.org
October 18, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Are decredentialed jobs a route to upward mobility?: Lyttelton, Thomas; Nelson, Dylan; Wilmers, Nathan
Reposted by MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
Are decredentialed jobs a route to upward mobility?: Lyttelton, Thomas; Nelson, Dylan; Wilmers, Nathan
NEP/RePEc link
to paper
d.repec.org
September 10, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Are decredentialed jobs a route to upward mobility?: Lyttelton, Thomas; Nelson, Dylan; Wilmers, Nathan
Reposted by MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
Congratulations to ASA members & 2025 AAAS inductees Nancy T. Ammerman @ntammerman.bsky.social, John B. Diamond @johndiamondphd.bsky.social, Charles M. Payne (Rutgers), Walter W. Powell @stanford.edu, Susan S. Silbey @mitiwer.bsky.social & Celeste M. Watkins-Hayes @umich.edu
October 21, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Congratulations to ASA members & 2025 AAAS inductees Nancy T. Ammerman @ntammerman.bsky.social, John B. Diamond @johndiamondphd.bsky.social, Charles M. Payne (Rutgers), Walter W. Powell @stanford.edu, Susan S. Silbey @mitiwer.bsky.social & Celeste M. Watkins-Hayes @umich.edu
What happens when manufacturing companies regularly incorporate worker feedback and ideas into their production processes? Productivity is generally higher—and so is production worker pay. New findings from Dylan Nelson of UIUC & @natewilmers.bsky.social @mitiwer.bsky.social:
tinyurl.com/4vhswpvr
tinyurl.com/4vhswpvr
The Effects of Worker Voice on Manufacturing Pay and Productivity | MIT Sloan
New research finds that when manufacturing companies regularly incorporate worker feedback and ideas, both productivity and worker pay are generally higher.
tinyurl.com
September 29, 2025 at 4:39 PM
What happens when manufacturing companies regularly incorporate worker feedback and ideas into their production processes? Productivity is generally higher—and so is production worker pay. New findings from Dylan Nelson of UIUC & @natewilmers.bsky.social @mitiwer.bsky.social:
tinyurl.com/4vhswpvr
tinyurl.com/4vhswpvr
Reposted by MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER)
New WP: We study how minimum wage increases affect poverty and food hardship in the U.S from 1981-2019. Different from recent work, we study the Supplemental Poverty Measure + two measures of food hardship, factor in cost-of-living differences, and more. www.iza.org/publications...
September 29, 2025 at 12:34 PM
New WP: We study how minimum wage increases affect poverty and food hardship in the U.S from 1981-2019. Different from recent work, we study the Supplemental Poverty Measure + two measures of food hardship, factor in cost-of-living differences, and more. www.iza.org/publications...
How Meritocracy Can Backfire--and 5 Steps to Address That: Highlights of the new book "The Meritocracy Paradox" by MIT Sloan Professor Emilio J. Castilla, Co-Director of @mitiwer.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/4ybsd3xj
How Meritocracy Can Backfire — and Five Steps to Address It | MIT Sloan
A new book by MIT Sloan professor Emilio J. Castilla offers managers and leaders a practical, data-driven roadmap for building fairer and more effective talent management systems.
tinyurl.com
September 26, 2025 at 1:55 PM
How Meritocracy Can Backfire--and 5 Steps to Address That: Highlights of the new book "The Meritocracy Paradox" by MIT Sloan Professor Emilio J. Castilla, Co-Director of @mitiwer.bsky.social: tinyurl.com/4ybsd3xj
Congratulations to Tom Kochan @mitiwer.bsky.social @mitsloan.bsky.social & Adam Seth Litwin and Ariel Avgar, both of @cornellilr.bsky.social! They have won an @equitablegrowth.bsky.social grant to study the effects of worker input on #AI strategies at @KaiserPermanente: tinyurl.com/mrybem8x
Bringing Worker Voice into the Development, Design, and Use of AI: A Case Study of the Labor Management Partnership at Kaiser Permanente
As AI transforms health care, workers must have a say in its development, design, and implementation to ensure fair outcomes for both employees and patients. The proposed study examines the Labor Mana...
tinyurl.com
September 25, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Congratulations to Tom Kochan @mitiwer.bsky.social @mitsloan.bsky.social & Adam Seth Litwin and Ariel Avgar, both of @cornellilr.bsky.social! They have won an @equitablegrowth.bsky.social grant to study the effects of worker input on #AI strategies at @KaiserPermanente: tinyurl.com/mrybem8x