dissertation research
Does Minimum Wage Increase or Reduce Crime? Evidence from a Negative Income Shock
Job Market Paper
This paper examines the role of minimum wage on local crime rates in the US upon China’s accession into the World Trade Organization in 2001. This episode, commonly known as the China Shock, represents the shock that manufacturers in the US felt when income fell. I employ a difference-in-difference model, with the first difference being the China Shock’s timing and the second difference being Commuting Zones (CZs) with different trade exposures. Then I estimate the China Shock’s impact on property crime and violent crime, and the breakdown of these crimes within various gender, age, and racial groups. I first identify that the increased import competition from China led to higher CZ-level crime rates in the US. Further, I find that CZs with higher state-level minimum wages experienced a reduction in the overall crime rates. Higher minimum wages were more effective in reducing property crimes than violent crimes since property crimes are usually tied to financial needs. Moreover, this mitigating effect was more substantial for young workers. This paper offers important policy implication that a higher minimum wage may bring young workers to the legitimate labor market and reduce property crime rates.
Trade Liberalization and Gender Gaps in Local Labor Markets Outcomes:
Dimensions of Adjustment in the United States
Joint with Tibor Besedes and Seung Hoon Lee
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 183 (2021), pp. 574-588
We provide empirical results that trade liberalization with China reduced gender gaps in local U.S. labor markets. In MSAs with higher exposure to trade liberalization, the simple wage gender gap decreased, while the residual wage gap increased, indicating important selection effects in labor force participation decisions. The reduction in the gender labor force participation gap was driven by higher entry of women, in particular more educated women, and exit of the less educated men. This results in intrahousehold adjustments in work dynamics, with women entering the labor force to offset the lost income of male partners who left the labor force. We show that trade liberalization increased female workers’ unemployment rate and reliance on part-time jobs.
Multidimensional Impacts of Trade Liberalization on Young Adults
Joint with Tibor Besedes and Seung Hoon Lee
As the China Shock deteriorated the baby boomers’ labor market outcomes, did it change their children’s generations’ lives as well? This paper examines China Shock’s impact on young adults’ well-being. We calculate Multi-Dimensional Indices to measure young adults’ well-being, reflecting employment, health, education, poverty, and personal activities. Then we quantify China Shock’s impact on Multi-Dimensional Deprivation Indices. Results show that the China Shock statistically significantly deprived young adults’ college education and increased their poverty and medical insurance coverage loss. This paper raises public awareness that family support should be provided for those impacted by similar events to reduce the poverty crisis among young adults.
Research experience
Research Intern (2018 – Present )
Federal Statistical Data Center
U.S. Census Bureau/Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Research
Provided research assistance to 8 multi-year projects in partnership with government, institutions and higher education, working on research projects in a team setting.
Analyzed large primary/secondary data with advanced econometrics models and data-science tools, and transformed into thoughtful insights.
Project Management
Managed projects, including setting and overseeing timelines, deliverables, and documentation.
Experienced in drafting research proposal and organizing annual conference.
Administrative
Managed the center’s administrative work involving website update, communications, and project management report.
Projects Involved
Healthcare
“The Affordable Care Act and Health Care and Outcomes among Cancer Patients and Survivors” with Xuesong Han, American Cancer Society/Emory University
“The Impacts of Vaping Regulations on Perceptions, Access, Prices, and Tobacco Use” with Michael Pesko, Georgia State University
“The Effect of the Affordable Care Act on High-Risk Tobacco Users” with Michael Pesko, Georgia State University
Labor
“Migration Constraints and Job Opportunities” with Julie Hotchkiss, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
“Dynamic Effects of Wage Setting: Evidence from the National War Labor Board” with Nicolas Ziebarth, Auburn University
Machine Learning
“A Polygon-Based Approach to Spatial Network Allocation: Optimal Facility Location Modeling and Network Analysis” with James Gaboardi, Pennsylvania State University
Finance
“Labor Market Implications of Credit Supply Shocks” with Manasa Gopal, Goergia Institute of Technology
Trade
“Searching, Matching, and the Transfer of Information in International Trade Relationships” with Seung Hoon Lee, Jackie M.L. Chan, and Kalina Manova