This article presents a discussion among leading economists on how to do empirical research in economics. The participants discuss their reasons for starting research projects, data base construction, the methods they use, the role of theory, and their views on the main alternative empirical...

This paper considers models for unobservables in duration models. It demonstrates how cross-section and time-series variation in regressors facilitates identification of single-spell, competing risks and multiple spell duration models. We also demonstrate the limited value of traditional...

In the last thirty years we have witnessed large increases in the "returns to skill." These changes in the wage structure have renewed interest in increasing the skill levels of low skill workers. Attempts to do this through job training programs have been largely unsuccessful as the wage gains...

Despite the large amount of work in labor economics devoted towards wage progress we know surprisingly little about the mechanics of wage growth, particularly among low skilled workers. This paper takes a step in this direction by examining wage progression between and among moderate to low...

In this paper, we investigate the responsiveness of the demand for college to changes in student aid arising from a Danish reform. We separately identify the effect of aid from that of other observed and unobserved variables such as parental income. We exploit the combination of a kinked aid...

This paper specifies a general set of conditions under which the impacts of a policy can be identified using data generated under a different policy regime. We show that some of the policy impacts can be identified under relatively weak conditions on the data and structure of a model. Based on...

We develop estimation methods that use the amount of selection on the observables in a model as a guide to the amount of selection on the unobservables. We show that if the observed variables are a random subset of a large number of factors that influence the endogenous variable and the outcome...

In this paper we develop new estimation methods for identifying causal effects based on the idea that the amount of selection on the observed explanatory variables in a model provides a guide to the amount of selection on the unobservables. Our approach involves the use of factor model as a way...