Course Description
Summary
This course introduces students to econometric approaches to asking and answering questions about the economy, with a specific focus on labor markets. The primary aim of the course is to understand how economists analyze data to determine causal effect. We will analyze data sets to explore socioeconomic questions centered around labor such as: What factors affect a person’s income, and how do we know? How might we investigate the main causes of unemployment? Students will learn how to run regressions using the Stata statistical software package. Though we will primarily work with cross-sectional data, students will also gain exposure to time series and panel data. We will think critically about the quantitative methods that we practice, evaluating their strengths, limitations, and intellectual history. No math experience beyond a high school level of algebra is required for the course.
