IZA

📢 Call for Applications | IZA@LISER Summer School in Labor Economics 2026 #IZALISER2026

📅 1–3 June 2026 in #Luxembourg

🗣️ W/ featured lecturers @alanmanning4.bsky.social & Kristiina Huttunen

⏳ Deadline: 5 March 2026

🔗 www.liser.lu/news/call-fo...

#LaborEconomics #PhDSky #AcademicSky

1. Less skilled labor is abundant. 2. Skilled emigration is a brain drain. 3. Development substitutes for migration. 4. Migration substitutes for failing development, but doesn't cause development.

The International Monetary Fund asked me to review the literature on migration economics to draw lessons for low-income countries.

In a new @iza.org paper, I argue that policy for the 21st century must discard four outdated ideas.

www.iza.org/publications...

🧵 thread—>

The power of working while studying: Lessons from Uruguay’s work-study program Well-designed work-study programs can boost young people’s long-term job prospects and earnings, easing their transition to adulthood  

Combining work and study pays off! 🎓💼

Lessons from Uruguay's national work-study program show part-time, formal jobs for students lead to 11% higher earnings seven years later, without harming schooling. A cost-effective boost for young workers.

wol.iza.org/opinions/pow... #EconSky #EduSky

Orchestrating success: The power of universal music education Universal music programs build self-discipline, teamwork, and social skills that prepare youth for today’s workforce 

Music education is a high-impact investment in human capital. 🎶🎻

Research on a universal orchestra program in Italy shows musical training boosts emotional intelligence and lowers anxiety/depression in adulthood. It builds essential workplace skills.

wol.iza.org/opinions/orc... #EduSky #EconSky

Beyond the target: How slashing refugee benefits impacts entire communities Residents sharing buildings with affected refugees are markedly more likely to commit crimes

Slashing refugee benefits has unintended consequences.

Research from Denmark shows that when benefits were cut, non-refugee neighbors became significantly more likely to commit crimes. 🚨 Resulting social costs made the policy costlier than it saved. 💸

IZA WoL op-ed 👇
wol.iza.org/opinions/bey...

📢 PhD Workshop in Labor and Behavioral Economics 2026 📢

The next edition will take place at CEBI, University of Copenhagen (June 8–9, 2026).

Keynote speakers: Ingar Haaland (NHH) & Benjamin Schoefer (UC Berkeley).

Call for Papers: sites.google.com/view/behavio...
Deadline: Jan 31, 2026

Heat waves are a widespread threat to the workforce Heat waves that persist for three days or longer have lasting effects on workers as medical and sick-leave costs stay high for up to four years

Heat waves aren't just an outdoor risk! 🥵

New analysis for Germany shows that a single hot day (30°C+) raises new sick leave cases by 3.5%. The effect triples after a week—even in white-collar jobs. A 3-day heatwave adds 24k+ lost workdays in the health sector alone.

wol.iza.org/opinions/hea...

Cisterns for life: Climate adaptation policies for water provision and rural lives Expanding rainwater harvesting provides a low-cost way to advance poverty reduction and climate adaptation

Can a simple cistern change a life? 💧

New research featured on IZA WoL analyzes a Brazilian water program and finds massive gains: a 20% rise in formal labor income and a 37% drop in child hospitalizations. The secret? Giving people back the time spent collecting water.

wol.iza.org/opinions/cis...

Are economics students more influenced by source authority than argument substance? Study finds PhD students most biased despite claiming independence

Are economics students evaluating ideas or authority? 🧐

Future economists—especially PhD students—rely heavily on the source's authority (mainstream vs. non-mainstream) rather than the argument's substance. Ironically, the most biased claim to be the most critical.

newsroom.iza.org/en/archive/r...

When the weather shapes retirement decisions Retirement and late-career choices depend not only on personal and policy factors but also on environmental conditions shaping daily life and work

Is your retirement date written in the sky? 🌤️🌡️

New research links extreme weather (hot/cold) to earlier exit from the workforce due to health shocks.

We can't control the climate, but we can improve healthcare access to help people stay on the job.

See IZA WoL op-ed 👇
wol.iza.org/opinions/whe...

How competition fuels learning: Skills, wages, and productivity in modern labor markets Competition drives learning as workers thrive with choice, and firms innovate under pressure

Competition doesn't discourage job training—it fuels it! 💡

Workers thrive when they have choices, and firms innovate when they face pressure. Recognizing this dynamic is essential to building a labor market that is both fair and resilient in the face of change.

wol.iza.org/opinions/how...

📖 New Opinion Piece on IZA World of Labor @iza.org:
Measuring the hidden costs of disadvantage: Biological aging and opportunity by @giorgiamenta.bsky.social and co-authors.

🔗 Learn more: wol.iza.org/opinions/mea...

Germs in the family: Read about the short- and long-term consequences of intra-household disease spread in this IZA World of Labor op-ed: wol.iza.org/opinions/whe...

How religion shapes fertility responses to pronatalist policies Family policies that reflect cultural realities, rather than one-size-fits-all assumptions, are key to reversing falling birth rates

Financial incentives don't work equally for everyone. Policymakers must account for cultural norms, like religion, to effectively address declining birth rates.

Read how religion shapes fertility responses to pronatalist policies in this new IZA World of Labor op-ed:

wol.iza.org/opinions/how...

Populism and the skill-content of globalization Right-wing populism rises with low-skill globalization but falls with high-skill trends, showing that skill divides—not globalization alone—drive political shifts  

Globalization's impact on populism isn't so simple. New research finds it's all about skill content.

Low-skilled imports & migration fuel populism. But high-skilled globalization (tech-intensive trade, educated migrants) reduces it. 💡

➡️ wol.iza.org/opinions/pop...

AI is changing higher education, but students aren’t using it how you’d expect New survey: 80% of students use generative AI, primarily to enhance understanding rather than automate coursework

New survey from an elite college: 80% of students use AI—mostly to learn, not cheat. Low-achievers use it most, but will this help or hurt them?

IZA paper by Zara Contractor & Germán Reyes: Higher ed needs smart policies & AI literacy, not bans.

newsroom.iza.org/en/archive/r... #EconSky #EduSky

The labor market in Turkey, 2000-2024 Turkey needs to significantly invest in public care to complement educational compositional change for employment growth

Turkey’s labor market is struggling to create enough quality jobs, despite a more educated workforce. Investing in public care and active labor market policies will be key to employment growth.

Check out the latest IZA WoL country article by @tekguchasan.bsky.social:
👉 wol.iza.org/articles/the...

🎬 #PolicyLabLISER wraps-up w/ the 2nd keynote “Evidence vs. Seduction: the Struggle" by Prof. Jean Hindriks + closing words from Frederic Docquier & Olga Nottmeyer (@iza.org)

🙏Thanks to everyone— researchers, policymakers, civil society & all who believe in turning insights into real #socialimpact

Today is the last day of the Chicago School in Experimental Economics taking place in Bonn, organized by @econtribute.bsky.social, @iza.org and the University of Chicago. Thanks to everyone that participated! @luca-henkel.bsky.social @johnlist.bsky.social @dfg.de #EconSky

Seeds of trust: How churches helped sustain civic life behind the “iron curtain” Safeguarding even small civic spaces can be crucial for strengthening democracy in the long run

🧵 In a recent IZA Discussion Paper, @stepanmikula.bsky.social, @tommasoreggiani.bsky.social, and I study how civic culture can persist—or even emerge—under authoritarian rule.
In the IZA World of Labor commentary linked below, you can also find a short non-technical summary.

#EconSky

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The Chinese labor market, 2000–2024 The world’s second largest economy has boomed, but a rapidly aging labor force presents substantial challenges

China’s labor boom is fading: aging workers, record-low fertility (1.01), and rising gig jobs without protections strain growth. Unlocking rural youth potential + migrant rights will be key.

Check out the latest update to the IZA WoL country articles:
👉 wol.iza.org/articles/the-chinese-labor-market

When students guess wrong: Fixing misinformation in career planning Exposing students to information about the job opportunities and wages in their preferred occupations makes them choose for fields of study with better labor market prospects

Students often overestimate job prospects in their dream fields. 🎓

New research shows that a low-cost intervention providing them with accurate data on opportunities and wages 📊 helps them choose study paths with significantly better earnings prospects! 💡➡️

wol.iza.org/opinions/whe...

Why remote work should be part of the education debate Working from home can support children´s learning without harming parents´ jobs, but currently, this benefit mainly helps the privileged  

Remote work isn’t just for the office—it can support children’s learning without undercutting parents’ careers. But right now, most of the benefits go to the privileged.

Find out in this new IZA WoL opinion piece why remote work should be part of the education debate: wol.iza.org/opinions/why...

💼 Out now: The Future of Work Environments, Creating Liveable and Productive Working Habitats by Werner Eichhorst of @iza.org

Free content can be found at: doi.org/10.4337/9781...

For more information, visit: www.e-elgar.com/shop/isbn/97...

🎥 youtu.be/cBTIDken83Q?...
#WorkEnvironment

The labor market in Hungary, 2000-2025 Employment and wages are on a spectacular rise but growing inequalities, exclusion, and labor market segmentation call for new policy approaches

🇭🇺 The labor market in Hungary, 2000-2025:

Employment and wages are on a spectacular rise, but growing inequalities, exclusion, and labor market segmentation call for new policy approaches.

Read the latest addition to the IZA WoL country articles, by Bálint Menyhért 👇
wol.iza.org/articles/the...

Believing in clients: A key to successful labor market reintegration Skilled, motivated case workers can be a powerful tool for breaking cycles of unemployment and disadvantage

“A job center with trained, motivated, and optimistic case workers could be one of the most effective tools for breaking cycles of unemployment and social disadvantage.”

💡 New insights by @albecknielsen.bsky.social‬ & @michaelrosholm.bsky.social‬ in this IZA WoL piece 👇
wol.iza.org/opinions/bel...

Opinion piece about our research on how automation is shaping the future or workers representation

The merits of teacher assessment versus external exams to measure student achievement Are teachers best placed to assess their students or are external exams more effective?

How should we best measure student achievement? 📝

New IZA WoL article by @opmc1.bsky.social‬ & G. Wyness tackles the pros & cons of teacher assessment vs. external exams.

Understanding the merits of each can help us build more effective & equitable education systems. 👇

wol.iza.org/articles/the...

How workplaces shape the economic impact of caregiving shocks on mothers What if your child is suddenly diagnosed with cancer?

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, mothers' earnings fall sharply—and stay low for years. Supportive, flexible workplaces help cushion the blow.

IZA paper based on Australian data highlights how workplace design shapes the economic toll of caregiving shocks.

newsroom.iza.org/en/archive/r...

Job loss is not always a disaster—but for some, it is Estimates of the economic costs of job displacement invariably show large and systematic average income losses, but this masks the fact that most workers adjust well and outcomes differ sharply eve...

When layoffs hit, two distinct groups emerge: "adjusters" quickly bounce back, while "casualties" continue to struggle.

These stark differences in earnings paths can occur even among workers identical in age, education, gender, and from the same firm.

Discover more:
wol.iza.org/opinions/job...