We study panel data estimators based on a discretization of unobserved heterogeneity when individual heterogeneity is not necessarily discrete in the population. We focus on two-step grouped- fixed effects estimators, where individuals are classified into groups in a first step using kmeans...

We study panel data estimators based on a discretization of unobserved heterogeneity when individual heterogeneity is not necessarily discrete in the population. We focus on two-step grouped-fixed effects estimators, where individuals are classified into groups in a first step using kmeans...

We develop a new quantile-based panel data framework to study the nature of income persistence and the transmission of income shocks to consumption. Log-earnings are the sum of a general Markovian persistent component and a transitory innovation. The persistence of past shocks to earnings is...

We introduce a class of quantile regression estimators for short panels. Our framework covers static and dynamic autoregressive models, models with general predetermined regressors, and models with multiple individual effects. We use quantile regression as a flexible tool to model the...

We propose a framework for estimation and inference about the parameters of an economic model and predictions based on it, when the model may be misspecified. We rely on a local asymptotic approach where the degree of misspecification is indexed by the sample size. We derive formulas to...