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Mike Lipsitz

@mikelipsitz

Labor and industrial organization economist at UPenn. Exec Director of MAEDS. Webpage: sites.google.com/site/malipsitz

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Latest posts by Mike Lipsitz @mikelipsitz

Katabasis came through and I just finished it. Great book (though I'd imagine people with no history of being academics might feel differently). Just started Poppy Wars. Thanks for the rec!

04.03.2026 22:49 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Many workers have missed shifts without jobs being destroyed making it challenging to measure labor impacts with conventional sources.

We use real-time daily data from Homebase to measure impacts. Thanks to UChicago and Homebase for making the data available.
#EconSky #NumbersDay

25.02.2026 15:38 πŸ‘ 429 πŸ” 165 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 11
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Nice! I'll let you know what I think..... In about 12 years.....

06.01.2026 16:37 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

For a second I thought it was multiple choice

What do you think of Noriega?
(a) Naruto
(b) Maduro

06.01.2026 01:31 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Sounds awesome. I'm here for the commitment so maybe I'll try Poppy Wars, though Babel sounds great, too. Thanks!

31.12.2025 02:37 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Love ken liu but haven't read rf kuang. Rec for a first timer?

30.12.2025 19:16 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Coercion and Monopsony in Modern American Manufacturing: Evidence from Alabama Prison Labor
Susan Helper Suresh Naidu Akseli Palomaki Adam Reich
Aaron Sojourner

We study coercion and monopsony in contemporary U.S. manufacturing labor markets. We combine administrative data from the Alabama Department of Corrections work release program with a unique survey of workers in the Alabama auto supply chain
where workers report their work-release status. We first present descriptive patterns of work-release labor, finding that the use of incarcerated (i.e., work-release) labor is concentrated in the auto supply industry, especially in the Montgomery area, where
Hyundai’s assembly plant is located. In the survey, the share of plant-level workers who are incarcerated is negatively correlated with non-incarcerated wages. The survey also enables estimation of hypothetical quit elasticities separately among incarcerated
and non-incarcerated workers. Incarcerated workers are estimated to have quit elasticities less than half that of non-incarcerated workers. Because Alabama law requires employers to pay the same wage to incarcerated and non-incarcerated workers in the same jobs, the additional monopsony power introduced by employer access to incarcerated workers creates an incentive and ability for employers to reduce plant-level wages to, and employment of, non-incarcerated workers. We build a quantitative model of firm-specific labor supply that, for incarcerated workers, distinguishes the roles of coercion (the risk of physical harm in prison from not working), wage garnishment that blunts the consumption effect of higher wages, and monopsony (limited mobility across employers). Using it, we estimate effects on free and incarcerated workers’ welfare from i) reforming prison conditions to eliminate violence, ii) eliminating prison labor wage
garnishment, iii) imposing a $15 minimum wage, &iv) abolishing prison labor. Free worker welfare goes up in all scenarios...

Coercion and Monopsony in Modern American Manufacturing: Evidence from Alabama Prison Labor Susan Helper Suresh Naidu Akseli Palomaki Adam Reich Aaron Sojourner We study coercion and monopsony in contemporary U.S. manufacturing labor markets. We combine administrative data from the Alabama Department of Corrections work release program with a unique survey of workers in the Alabama auto supply chain where workers report their work-release status. We first present descriptive patterns of work-release labor, finding that the use of incarcerated (i.e., work-release) labor is concentrated in the auto supply industry, especially in the Montgomery area, where Hyundai’s assembly plant is located. In the survey, the share of plant-level workers who are incarcerated is negatively correlated with non-incarcerated wages. The survey also enables estimation of hypothetical quit elasticities separately among incarcerated and non-incarcerated workers. Incarcerated workers are estimated to have quit elasticities less than half that of non-incarcerated workers. Because Alabama law requires employers to pay the same wage to incarcerated and non-incarcerated workers in the same jobs, the additional monopsony power introduced by employer access to incarcerated workers creates an incentive and ability for employers to reduce plant-level wages to, and employment of, non-incarcerated workers. We build a quantitative model of firm-specific labor supply that, for incarcerated workers, distinguishes the roles of coercion (the risk of physical harm in prison from not working), wage garnishment that blunts the consumption effect of higher wages, and monopsony (limited mobility across employers). Using it, we estimate effects on free and incarcerated workers’ welfare from i) reforming prison conditions to eliminate violence, ii) eliminating prison labor wage garnishment, iii) imposing a $15 minimum wage, &iv) abolishing prison labor. Free worker welfare goes up in all scenarios...

How does employer access to prisoners’ labor through work release impact the well-being of those workers & of free workers?

New working paper by Sue Helper, Suresh Naidu, Akseli Palomaki, Adam Reich, + me provides evidence, focus on auto manufacturing in AL
#EconSky
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

03.11.2025 14:20 πŸ‘ 163 πŸ” 66 πŸ’¬ 5 πŸ“Œ 4
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Working paper on options for reform of non-compete clauses in employment contracts

ICYMI given today's focus on the budget: the UK government has today also published a working paper on options for reform of non-compete agreements.

Responses to the specific options set out therein (statutory limits, size cutoffs and an outright ban), can be submitted until 18 February.

1/2

26.11.2025 18:34 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Excited to dig in! Congrats!

27.11.2025 15:40 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Economic Innovation Group hiring Research Assistant in Washington, DC | LinkedIn Posted 6:08:41 PM. Research Assistant The Economic Innovation Group (EIG) is a bipartisan public policy organization…See this and similar jobs on LinkedIn.

Come work with me, and more importantly with all the much smarter and cooler people than I am, at the @innovateeconomy.bsky.social:

Full-time, entry-level research role for someone who wants to work directly with data, policy ideas, all while building strong quantitative and writing skills.

24.11.2025 18:30 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I've been interested in this question for a while now. It's really one that could go either way: does the increase in competition or the greater ability to tacitly collude dominate? Great to see strong evidence. I'm sure this is a topic we'll learn a lot more about in coming years

21.11.2025 17:57 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Understanding how Black Americans got to where they are today, requires understanding Black history. The Green Book Project is a place to share the rich historical journey of Black Americans finding dignity during the Jim Crow era:

greenbookproject.osu.edu #GreenBookProject
#CommunityMap #EconSky

10.10.2025 15:56 πŸ‘ 46 πŸ” 9 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2
American Economic Association: JOE Listings - August 1, 2025 - January 31, 2026

Come work with us at CMU Heinz! We have a great applied microeconomics group and we’re looking for an economist to join us. Please reach out if you have any questions!

www.aeaweb.org/joe/listing....

10.10.2025 01:53 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Master of Applied Economics and Data Science | Penn LPS The Master of Applied Economics and Data Science (MEDS) program at Penn is designed to prepare ambitious students with the practical skills needed to drive effective decision-making in the public, pri...

Applications are now OPEN for the Master of Applied Economics and Data Science program, @upenn.edu econ's newest degree!

You can get lots more info (and apply!!) here:

www.lps.upenn.edu/degree-progr...

07.10.2025 23:27 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

The inaugural cohort will start in Fall 2026. It's a three semester program designed to emphasize the intersection between economic theory and data-driven analysis.

As the executive director of the program, I'd be very happy to answer any questions you or your students have!

07.10.2025 23:27 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Master of Applied Economics and Data Science | Penn LPS The Master of Applied Economics and Data Science (MEDS) program at Penn is designed to prepare ambitious students with the practical skills needed to drive effective decision-making in the public, pri...

Applications are now OPEN for the Master of Applied Economics and Data Science program, @upenn.edu econ's newest degree!

You can get lots more info (and apply!!) here:

www.lps.upenn.edu/degree-progr...

07.10.2025 23:27 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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AI Acquihires: Competition Risks, Talent Battles and Economic Spillovers Webinar - 8 October @ 17:00 CEST

πŸ—£οΈJonathan Kanter @lugaricano.bsky.social @imarinescu.bsky.social @igorletina.bsky.social Hans Zenger

Moderator: @florianederer.bsky.social
Register: cepr.org/events/ai-ac...
#EconSky

25.09.2025 07:55 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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My coauthors and I are hiring a project coordinator for new research on an innovative jail-based rehabilitation paper (IGNITE), building on our recent QJE

Apply at careersearch.stanford.edu/jobs/project...

26.09.2025 21:07 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 10 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
The Research Associate is a position on IWPR’s Research Team conducting research, including quantitative and qualitative empirical analysis, on issues related to IWPR’s core topics of Equitable Work and Wages, Caregiving and Families, Education and Career Advancement, and Reproductive Justice and Health Equity. The goal of our research is better inform partners and policymakers on ways to advance the economic security and well-being of women, their families, and communities.

For this position, candidates must have demonstrated working experience with statistical programs such as STATA, R or SPSS, major national public health and/or economic databases, and be able to interpret data, analyze results, acquire data from primary or secondary sources, and filter and clean data. This role is expected to be able to produce high quality research products for public audiences with independent initiative and minimal oversight.

Duties and Responsibilities

Research: 
Conduct and draft literature reviews and collaborate on research proposals that identify novel and impactful research activities on issues related to IWPR core research areas: Equitable Work and Wages, Caregiving and Families, Education and Career Advancement, and Reproductive Justice and Health Equity.
Perform advanced, complex quantitative data analysis of large datasets and trends, utilizing network science and/or other statistical methods, including creating data visuals.
Perform advanced qualitative data analysis, including developing and fielding online surveys; and conducting interviews and focus groups. 
Write high quality blog posts, briefs, fact sheets, reports and presentations based on the data work and analysis and accessible to broad audiences including policymakers, advocates, and the media.
Use and integrate racial equity and intersectional frameworks and analysis in research study designs, written reports, and briefs.
Assist with proposal and grant report drafting.

The Research Associate is a position on IWPR’s Research Team conducting research, including quantitative and qualitative empirical analysis, on issues related to IWPR’s core topics of Equitable Work and Wages, Caregiving and Families, Education and Career Advancement, and Reproductive Justice and Health Equity. The goal of our research is better inform partners and policymakers on ways to advance the economic security and well-being of women, their families, and communities. For this position, candidates must have demonstrated working experience with statistical programs such as STATA, R or SPSS, major national public health and/or economic databases, and be able to interpret data, analyze results, acquire data from primary or secondary sources, and filter and clean data. This role is expected to be able to produce high quality research products for public audiences with independent initiative and minimal oversight. Duties and Responsibilities Research: Conduct and draft literature reviews and collaborate on research proposals that identify novel and impactful research activities on issues related to IWPR core research areas: Equitable Work and Wages, Caregiving and Families, Education and Career Advancement, and Reproductive Justice and Health Equity. Perform advanced, complex quantitative data analysis of large datasets and trends, utilizing network science and/or other statistical methods, including creating data visuals. Perform advanced qualitative data analysis, including developing and fielding online surveys; and conducting interviews and focus groups. Write high quality blog posts, briefs, fact sheets, reports and presentations based on the data work and analysis and accessible to broad audiences including policymakers, advocates, and the media. Use and integrate racial equity and intersectional frameworks and analysis in research study designs, written reports, and briefs. Assist with proposal and grant report drafting.

Who wants to work with Kate Bahn at the Institute for Women's Policy Research?
#econ_ra
iwpr.applytojob.com/apply/ACdbXf...

27.09.2025 02:24 πŸ‘ 27 πŸ” 18 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

More on the new job to come next week!

26.09.2025 19:06 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Mike in front of the FTC statue

Mike in front of the FTC statue

Today is my last day working for the FTC. I'm very excited to start a new job next week in the @upenn.edu economics department!

The Bureau of Economics was a fantastic place to work with great colleagues, and being able to put my noncompete research into practice was the opportunity of a lifetime.

26.09.2025 19:05 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0
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STATISTICIAN The Bureau of Economics seeks candidates for the position of Statistician. Statisticians work directly with BE staff economists to (1) provide economic analysis in support of antitrust and consumer pr...

The FTC is hiring Statisticians in the Bureau of Economics!

This is a great opportunity for seniors or recent grads interested in antitrust and consumer protection economics, and applied microeconomics research.

Come work with me! Happy to answer any questions.

www.usajobs.gov/job/845835200

12.09.2025 23:08 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ“£ Columbia’s Center for Political Economy searching for post docs for next academic year working on labor, firms and markets, and climate change!

Applications due 11/3, and I’m happy to talk to folks interested in working with the Labor Lab team! apply.interfolio.com/173083 πŸ“£

09.09.2025 20:38 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Predoctoral Researcher MIT - Predoctoral Researcher - Cambridge MA 02139

πŸ“’Nina Roussille and I are hiring a full-time predoctoral researcher to work with us at MIT on labor economics research projects.

IMPORTANT: this vacancy is open right now, so we are particularly interested in people who could start soon.

Link to apply: careers.peopleclick.com/careerscp/cl...

08.09.2025 13:06 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 13 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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2025 CMA Durham Workshop - CMA Durham Partnership 20-21 November, 2025 Productivity, Business Dynamism and Market Power TheΒ Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) Microeconomics Unit, the Department of Economics atΒ Durham University Business School...

Doing research on productivity, business dynamism and/or market power? Please submit to our fourth CMA-Durham workshop! Deadline 25 Sept.

Also apply if your work links to: industrial policy, technology diffusion, start-ups, supply chains.

cma-partnership.webspace.durham.ac.uk/2025/08/29/2...

29.08.2025 15:33 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 4

I went to this fantastic conference last year and had a blast. I highly encourage everyone to submit their work!

29.08.2025 20:09 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Jobs | City University of New York

Two new post doc positions studying wealth and poverty at the Stone Center at CUNY (New York). A fantastic opportunity! cuny.jobs/new-york-ny/...
cuny.jobs/new-york-ny/...

06.08.2025 23:04 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

I'm telling CB Bucknor you said that

07.07.2025 13:11 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

?!

21.06.2025 12:16 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Join the CMA's econometrics team and work with my super-smart colleagues @alcrawfs.bsky.social and @ivan-olszak.bsky.social on demand estimation, merger simulations and event studies in CMA merger cases and market studies.

Ideal for recent quant MSc graduates or PhD students.

20.06.2025 17:42 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0