Alex Albright
@allbriteallday.bsky.social
Economist @ Minneapolis Fed's Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute. There's a graph for that. Views are my own. (she/her) https://albrightalex.com/
Academics responding to referee reports
July 8, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Academics responding to referee reports
Important paper on the home insurance market. Authors use novel data on 15 million insurance policies + document many new descriptive facts.
For instance, "the average person’s homeowners insurance [costs] 17% of their monthly principal and interest payment."
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
For instance, "the average person’s homeowners insurance [costs] 17% of their monthly principal and interest payment."
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
April 14, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Important paper on the home insurance market. Authors use novel data on 15 million insurance policies + document many new descriptive facts.
For instance, "the average person’s homeowners insurance [costs] 17% of their monthly principal and interest payment."
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
For instance, "the average person’s homeowners insurance [costs] 17% of their monthly principal and interest payment."
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Also, the authors "find that local tax assessors: 1) have tax assessments on their own properties significantly lower than neighboring properties; and 2) these tax assessments grow significantly slower than neighbors – lowering their tax bills." 👀
Image via: www.library.hbs.edu/working-know...
Image via: www.library.hbs.edu/working-know...
April 9, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Also, the authors "find that local tax assessors: 1) have tax assessments on their own properties significantly lower than neighboring properties; and 2) these tax assessments grow significantly slower than neighbors – lowering their tax bills." 👀
Image via: www.library.hbs.edu/working-know...
Image via: www.library.hbs.edu/working-know...
TIL "property tax revenues adjust at a pace that is inconsistent with property values in the US."
And this revenue smoothing is not symmetric: "municipalities are significantly more likely to reassess in up markets as opposed to down."
H/t @nber.org WP by Chen & Cohen: www.nber.org/papers/w33238
And this revenue smoothing is not symmetric: "municipalities are significantly more likely to reassess in up markets as opposed to down."
H/t @nber.org WP by Chen & Cohen: www.nber.org/papers/w33238
April 9, 2025 at 7:42 PM
TIL "property tax revenues adjust at a pace that is inconsistent with property values in the US."
And this revenue smoothing is not symmetric: "municipalities are significantly more likely to reassess in up markets as opposed to down."
H/t @nber.org WP by Chen & Cohen: www.nber.org/papers/w33238
And this revenue smoothing is not symmetric: "municipalities are significantly more likely to reassess in up markets as opposed to down."
H/t @nber.org WP by Chen & Cohen: www.nber.org/papers/w33238
January 15, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Recent WSJ article on "ghost jobs" features a sankey plot showing one person's job search process in 2024. (H/t Serena Dao)
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...
January 13, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Recent WSJ article on "ghost jobs" features a sankey plot showing one person's job search process in 2024. (H/t Serena Dao)
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...
✨ NEW in @jlaborecon.bsky.social: "The Impact of the Retirement Slowdown on the U.S. Youth Labor Market" by Paul Mohnen ✨
In recent decades, labor supply of older Americans has increased while labor mkt outcomes of younger Americans have deteriorated... how much does the former explain the latter?
In recent decades, labor supply of older Americans has increased while labor mkt outcomes of younger Americans have deteriorated... how much does the former explain the latter?
December 18, 2024 at 5:15 PM
✨ NEW in @jlaborecon.bsky.social: "The Impact of the Retirement Slowdown on the U.S. Youth Labor Market" by Paul Mohnen ✨
In recent decades, labor supply of older Americans has increased while labor mkt outcomes of younger Americans have deteriorated... how much does the former explain the latter?
In recent decades, labor supply of older Americans has increased while labor mkt outcomes of younger Americans have deteriorated... how much does the former explain the latter?
Strategic selection into when to start kindergarten increases average achievement... but "widens racial + income achievement gaps, partly b/c only higher-income parents select on children’s gains from waiting."
Paper by Michael Ricks [ft. v. cool compliers-related diagrams]: tinyurl.com/529zayaj
Paper by Michael Ricks [ft. v. cool compliers-related diagrams]: tinyurl.com/529zayaj
December 11, 2024 at 9:18 PM
Strategic selection into when to start kindergarten increases average achievement... but "widens racial + income achievement gaps, partly b/c only higher-income parents select on children’s gains from waiting."
Paper by Michael Ricks [ft. v. cool compliers-related diagrams]: tinyurl.com/529zayaj
Paper by Michael Ricks [ft. v. cool compliers-related diagrams]: tinyurl.com/529zayaj
Had a great seminar visit at @unlincoln.bsky.social!
Also featured an excellent stop at the art museum on campus. S/o to @dtannenbaum.bsky.social for the lil tour!
Some faves from the campus + Sheldon museum:
Also featured an excellent stop at the art museum on campus. S/o to @dtannenbaum.bsky.social for the lil tour!
Some faves from the campus + Sheldon museum:
December 7, 2024 at 3:30 PM
Had a great seminar visit at @unlincoln.bsky.social!
Also featured an excellent stop at the art museum on campus. S/o to @dtannenbaum.bsky.social for the lil tour!
Some faves from the campus + Sheldon museum:
Also featured an excellent stop at the art museum on campus. S/o to @dtannenbaum.bsky.social for the lil tour!
Some faves from the campus + Sheldon museum:
We host ~20 economists annually in Minneapolis as part of the program.
Visits range between 1 week (short) and 9 months (long).
The application for the 2025-2026 cohort is open now! (Open until January 17, 2025.)
Visits range between 1 week (short) and 9 months (long).
The application for the 2025-2026 cohort is open now! (Open until January 17, 2025.)
December 2, 2024 at 5:02 PM
We host ~20 economists annually in Minneapolis as part of the program.
Visits range between 1 week (short) and 9 months (long).
The application for the 2025-2026 cohort is open now! (Open until January 17, 2025.)
Visits range between 1 week (short) and 9 months (long).
The application for the 2025-2026 cohort is open now! (Open until January 17, 2025.)
#APPAM2024 goal achieved: rode the giant ferris wheel 🎡
November 22, 2024 at 11:52 PM
#APPAM2024 goal achieved: rode the giant ferris wheel 🎡
A visualization of what economists "exploit" in their papers.
Usually, it's variation (often, plausibly exogenous ofc)/random (assignment)/quasi or natural (experiments)/changes (policy), new/large/unique (data)
Source (blog by me circa 2021): thelittledataset.com/2021/06/28/m...
Usually, it's variation (often, plausibly exogenous ofc)/random (assignment)/quasi or natural (experiments)/changes (policy), new/large/unique (data)
Source (blog by me circa 2021): thelittledataset.com/2021/06/28/m...
November 14, 2024 at 11:43 PM
A visualization of what economists "exploit" in their papers.
Usually, it's variation (often, plausibly exogenous ofc)/random (assignment)/quasi or natural (experiments)/changes (policy), new/large/unique (data)
Source (blog by me circa 2021): thelittledataset.com/2021/06/28/m...
Usually, it's variation (often, plausibly exogenous ofc)/random (assignment)/quasi or natural (experiments)/changes (policy), new/large/unique (data)
Source (blog by me circa 2021): thelittledataset.com/2021/06/28/m...
TIL commuting in small US cities has returned to pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, commuting in the big US cities has stabilized around 60% of pre-pandemic levels.
Paper by Monte, Rossi-Hansberg, Porcher: www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/emrqo...
Related article: bfi.uchicago.edu/insight/rese...
Paper by Monte, Rossi-Hansberg, Porcher: www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/emrqo...
Related article: bfi.uchicago.edu/insight/rese...
November 14, 2024 at 5:46 PM
TIL commuting in small US cities has returned to pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, commuting in the big US cities has stabilized around 60% of pre-pandemic levels.
Paper by Monte, Rossi-Hansberg, Porcher: www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/emrqo...
Related article: bfi.uchicago.edu/insight/rese...
Paper by Monte, Rossi-Hansberg, Porcher: www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/emrqo...
Related article: bfi.uchicago.edu/insight/rese...
Some interesting graphs re: "How people cast their vote in each state, and how it’s changing"
Source: www.washingtonpost.com/elections/20...
Source: www.washingtonpost.com/elections/20...
November 1, 2024 at 6:10 PM
Some interesting graphs re: "How people cast their vote in each state, and how it’s changing"
Source: www.washingtonpost.com/elections/20...
Source: www.washingtonpost.com/elections/20...
"More GenAI Users Expect Inequality to Increase in the Future Than Non-Users"
New blog post from Natalia Emanuel and Emma Harrington: libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2024/10/expo...
(Data from supplemental questions in the February 2024 Survey of Consumer Expectations)
New blog post from Natalia Emanuel and Emma Harrington: libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2024/10/expo...
(Data from supplemental questions in the February 2024 Survey of Consumer Expectations)
October 8, 2024 at 8:44 PM
"More GenAI Users Expect Inequality to Increase in the Future Than Non-Users"
New blog post from Natalia Emanuel and Emma Harrington: libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2024/10/expo...
(Data from supplemental questions in the February 2024 Survey of Consumer Expectations)
New blog post from Natalia Emanuel and Emma Harrington: libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2024/10/expo...
(Data from supplemental questions in the February 2024 Survey of Consumer Expectations)
Two recent complementary papers on long-term caregiving and gendered labor supply:
(1) "Caregiving and Labor Supply: New Evidence from Administrative Data" by Maestas, Messel, Truskinovsky
(2) "Who benefits from public financing of home-based long term care? Evidence from Medicaid" by Karen Shen
(1) "Caregiving and Labor Supply: New Evidence from Administrative Data" by Maestas, Messel, Truskinovsky
(2) "Who benefits from public financing of home-based long term care? Evidence from Medicaid" by Karen Shen
October 8, 2024 at 8:06 PM
Two recent complementary papers on long-term caregiving and gendered labor supply:
(1) "Caregiving and Labor Supply: New Evidence from Administrative Data" by Maestas, Messel, Truskinovsky
(2) "Who benefits from public financing of home-based long term care? Evidence from Medicaid" by Karen Shen
(1) "Caregiving and Labor Supply: New Evidence from Administrative Data" by Maestas, Messel, Truskinovsky
(2) "Who benefits from public financing of home-based long term care? Evidence from Medicaid" by Karen Shen
Algorithms provide more than just predictions to decision-makers -- they often provide explicit recommendations.
These *algorithmic recommendations* have independent effects on human decisions.
Updated paper: apalbright.github.io/pdfs/albrigh...
+ Slides: apalbright.github.io/pdfs/albrigh...
These *algorithmic recommendations* have independent effects on human decisions.
Updated paper: apalbright.github.io/pdfs/albrigh...
+ Slides: apalbright.github.io/pdfs/albrigh...
April 3, 2024 at 3:46 PM
Algorithms provide more than just predictions to decision-makers -- they often provide explicit recommendations.
These *algorithmic recommendations* have independent effects on human decisions.
Updated paper: apalbright.github.io/pdfs/albrigh...
+ Slides: apalbright.github.io/pdfs/albrigh...
These *algorithmic recommendations* have independent effects on human decisions.
Updated paper: apalbright.github.io/pdfs/albrigh...
+ Slides: apalbright.github.io/pdfs/albrigh...
"Is Pay Transparency Good?" by Zoe Cullen
Most policies have enacted pay transparency ~horizontally~, narrowing coworker wage gaps but also lowering average wages.
Cullen also discusses other types of pay transparency: vertical and cross-firm
JEP Paper: www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
Most policies have enacted pay transparency ~horizontally~, narrowing coworker wage gaps but also lowering average wages.
Cullen also discusses other types of pay transparency: vertical and cross-firm
JEP Paper: www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
February 14, 2024 at 8:37 PM
"Is Pay Transparency Good?" by Zoe Cullen
Most policies have enacted pay transparency ~horizontally~, narrowing coworker wage gaps but also lowering average wages.
Cullen also discusses other types of pay transparency: vertical and cross-firm
JEP Paper: www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
Most policies have enacted pay transparency ~horizontally~, narrowing coworker wage gaps but also lowering average wages.
Cullen also discusses other types of pay transparency: vertical and cross-firm
JEP Paper: www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
How often are workers using generative AI?
"A majority of more than 15,000 workers in fields ranging from financial services to marketing analytics and professional services said they were using the technology at least once a week in late 2023"
Source: www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...
"A majority of more than 15,000 workers in fields ranging from financial services to marketing analytics and professional services said they were using the technology at least once a week in late 2023"
Source: www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...
February 13, 2024 at 8:16 PM
How often are workers using generative AI?
"A majority of more than 15,000 workers in fields ranging from financial services to marketing analytics and professional services said they were using the technology at least once a week in late 2023"
Source: www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...
"A majority of more than 15,000 workers in fields ranging from financial services to marketing analytics and professional services said they were using the technology at least once a week in late 2023"
Source: www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...
Do effects vary across customer support agents?
Yup, effects are larger for less-experienced and lower-performing workers.
[Paper by Erik Brynjolfsson, Danielle Li, and Lindsey R. Raymond]
Yup, effects are larger for less-experienced and lower-performing workers.
[Paper by Erik Brynjolfsson, Danielle Li, and Lindsey R. Raymond]
January 8, 2024 at 9:54 PM
Do effects vary across customer support agents?
Yup, effects are larger for less-experienced and lower-performing workers.
[Paper by Erik Brynjolfsson, Danielle Li, and Lindsey R. Raymond]
Yup, effects are larger for less-experienced and lower-performing workers.
[Paper by Erik Brynjolfsson, Danielle Li, and Lindsey R. Raymond]
What are the effects of generative AI in the workplace?
This paper generates (pun intended) evidence based on the staggered intro of a generative AI tool for customer support agents.
Tool productivity (issues resolved/hour) by 14%.
Paper here: www.nber.org/system/files...
This paper generates (pun intended) evidence based on the staggered intro of a generative AI tool for customer support agents.
Tool productivity (issues resolved/hour) by 14%.
Paper here: www.nber.org/system/files...
January 8, 2024 at 9:53 PM
What are the effects of generative AI in the workplace?
This paper generates (pun intended) evidence based on the staggered intro of a generative AI tool for customer support agents.
Tool productivity (issues resolved/hour) by 14%.
Paper here: www.nber.org/system/files...
This paper generates (pun intended) evidence based on the staggered intro of a generative AI tool for customer support agents.
Tool productivity (issues resolved/hour) by 14%.
Paper here: www.nber.org/system/files...
Of course, even within each category in that 1st graph there's been TONS of changes.
Eg, "From slavery to racial segregation policies, and through the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s to now, the Black population has been identified by 10 distinct terms."
Eg, "From slavery to racial segregation policies, and through the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s to now, the Black population has been identified by 10 distinct terms."
December 5, 2023 at 11:17 PM
Of course, even within each category in that 1st graph there's been TONS of changes.
Eg, "From slavery to racial segregation policies, and through the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s to now, the Black population has been identified by 10 distinct terms."
Eg, "From slavery to racial segregation policies, and through the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s to now, the Black population has been identified by 10 distinct terms."
A useful @nytimes.com piece on how census race/ethnicity categories have changed over 230 yrs: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
December 5, 2023 at 11:16 PM
A useful @nytimes.com piece on how census race/ethnicity categories have changed over 230 yrs: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Olá from 🇧🇷! 👋
Had an awesome time giving seminars at FGV São Paulo, Insper, and PUC-Rio this week. Big thanks to @vitorpossebom.bsky.social for the invite!
Outside of seminars, I’ve been adventuring around with my binoculars admiring the incredible birds. 🥰
Had an awesome time giving seminars at FGV São Paulo, Insper, and PUC-Rio this week. Big thanks to @vitorpossebom.bsky.social for the invite!
Outside of seminars, I’ve been adventuring around with my binoculars admiring the incredible birds. 🥰
December 2, 2023 at 1:31 PM
Olá from 🇧🇷! 👋
Had an awesome time giving seminars at FGV São Paulo, Insper, and PUC-Rio this week. Big thanks to @vitorpossebom.bsky.social for the invite!
Outside of seminars, I’ve been adventuring around with my binoculars admiring the incredible birds. 🥰
Had an awesome time giving seminars at FGV São Paulo, Insper, and PUC-Rio this week. Big thanks to @vitorpossebom.bsky.social for the invite!
Outside of seminars, I’ve been adventuring around with my binoculars admiring the incredible birds. 🥰
(5) When do people accept job offers?
Based on 2020-2021 data, 70.6% of people accept jobs in February (47.3%) or March (23.3%).
Source: www.aeaweb.org/joe/communic...
Based on 2020-2021 data, 70.6% of people accept jobs in February (47.3%) or March (23.3%).
Source: www.aeaweb.org/joe/communic...
October 23, 2023 at 9:21 PM
(5) When do people accept job offers?
Based on 2020-2021 data, 70.6% of people accept jobs in February (47.3%) or March (23.3%).
Source: www.aeaweb.org/joe/communic...
Based on 2020-2021 data, 70.6% of people accept jobs in February (47.3%) or March (23.3%).
Source: www.aeaweb.org/joe/communic...