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The Art of Labormetrics

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Daniel S. Hamermesh

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Abstract

Using a wide array of examples from the literature and from original estimates, this essay examines the pitfalls that make good empirical research in labor economics as much art as science. Appropriateness and cleanliness of data are considered, as are problems of extreme observations and interactions. The validity of attempts to produce exogeneity using instrumental variables and natural experiments' is examined, as are the treatment of selectivity and unobservable individual effects. Testing empirical results to ensure that they make sense is stressed along with the importance of clear, economical and useful presentation of those results.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 6927.

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Date of creation: Feb 1999
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:6927

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J00 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - General
C1 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: General

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Deirdre N. McCloskey & Stephen T. Ziliak, 1996. "The Standard Error of Regressions," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 34(1), pages 97-114, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  3. Juster, F Thomas & Stafford, Frank P, 1991. "The Allocation of Time: Empirical Findings, Behavioral Models, and Problems of Measurement," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 29(2), pages 471-522, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Hamermesh, Daniel S & Biddle, Jeff E, 1994. "Beauty and the Labor Market," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(5), pages 1174-94, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Manski, Charles F, 1991. "Regression," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 29(1), pages 34-50, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Angrist, Joshua D & Krueger, Alan B, 1991. "Does Compulsory School Attendance Affect Schooling and Earnings?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 106(4), pages 979-1014, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. James J. Heckman, 1976. "The Common Structure of Statistical Models of Truncation, Sample Selection and Limited Dependent Variables and a Simple Estimator for Such Models," NBER Chapters, in: Annals of Economic and Social Measurement, Volume 5, number 4, pages 120-137 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
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  12. David Card, 1989. "The Impact of the Mariel Boatlift on the Miami Labor Market," NBER Working Papers 3069, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  13. Dusansky, Richard & Vernon, Clayton J, 1998. "Rankings of U.S. Economics Departments," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(1), pages 157-70, Winter. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  15. Daniel S. Hamermesh & Stephen J. Trejo, 1997. "The Demand for Hours of Labor: Direct Evidence from California," NBER Working Papers 5973, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  16. Genesove, David & Mayer, Christopher J, 1997. "Equity and Time to Sale in the Real Estate Market," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(3), pages 255-69, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  17. Akerlof, George A & Yellen, Janet L, 1985. "Unemployment through the Filter of Memory," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 100(3), pages 747-73, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  19. Baker, Michael, 1997. "Growth-Rate Heterogeneity and the Covariance Structure of Life-Cycle Earnings," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 15(2), pages 338-75, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  20. Shin, Kwanho, 1997. "Inter- and Intrasectoral Shocks: Effects on the Unemployment Rate," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 15(2), pages 376-401, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  21. Hamermesh, Daniel S, 1982. "Social Insurance and Consumption: An Empirical Inquiry," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(1), pages 101-13, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  22. Eissa, Nada & Liebman, Jeffrey B, 1996. "Labor Supply Response to the Earned Income Tax Credit," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 111(2), pages 605-37, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  23. Meyer, Bruce D, 1995. "Natural and Quasi-experiments in Economics," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 13(2), pages 151-61, April.
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  24. Jonathan M. Thomas, 1997. "Public employment agencies and unemployment spells: Reconciling the experimental and nonexperimental evidence," Industrial and Labor Relations Review, ILR Review, ILR School, Cornell University, vol. 50(4), pages 667-683, July.
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  26. Biddle, Jeff E & Hamermesh, Daniel S, 1990. "Sleep and the Allocation of Time," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(5), pages 922-43, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Almeida, Rita, 2003. "The Effects of Foreign Owned Firms on the Labor Market," IZA Discussion Papers 785, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  2. Benito, A. & Oswald, A., 2000. "Commuting in Great Britain in the 1990s," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 560, University of Warwick, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  3. Dorothe Bonjour & Lynn Cherkas & Jonathan Haskel & Denise Hawkes & Tim Spector, 2002. "Returns to Education: Evidence from UK Twins," CEE Discussion Papers 0022, Centre for the Economics of Education, LSE. [Downloadable!]
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  4. Skedinger, Per & Lundin, Martin, 2000. "Decentralisation of Active Labour Market Policy: The Case of Swedish Local Employment Service Committees," Working Paper Series 537, Research Institute of Industrial Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Rita Almeida, 2004. "The labor market effects of foreign-owned firms," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3300, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Austan Goolsbee & Peter J. Klenow, 1999. "Evidence on Learning and Network Externalities in the Diffusion of Home Computers," NBER Working Papers 7329, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  7. Daniela VURI, 2001. "Fertility and Divorce," Economics Working Papers ECO2001/05, European University Institute. [Downloadable!]
  8. Per Pettersson, 2000. "Do Parties Matter for Fiscal Policy Choices," Econometric Society World Congress 2000 Contributed Papers 1373, Econometric Society. [Downloadable!]
  9. Rafael Di Tella & Ernesto Schargrodsky, 2004. "Do Police Reduce Crime? Estimates Using the Allocation of Police Forces After a Terrorist Attack," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(1), pages 115-133, March. [Downloadable!]
  10. Bill Collier, 2000. "The UK Wage Curve: New Evidence from the British Household Panel Survey," Studies in Economics 0010, Department of Economics, University of Kent. [Downloadable!]
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