The death of a family member is a devastating life event for any household. However, little is known about how a death in the family affects the finances of surviving family members, particularly in the U.S., where safety net programs are weaker than in other advanced economies. Economist Marion Aouad will examine the financial effects of death on surviving family members. She will analyze data from the California Consumer Credit Panel and the California Comprehensive Master Death file for her study.

Migration has shaped the geography of race and ethnicity throughout U.S. history and attempts to exclude certain groups have been common. Although such exclusionary practices were eventually made illegal at the federal level, exclusion was more successful at the local level, especially in small towns. Many of these exclusionary events are not part of the historical record.

White men disproportionately occupy the highest-paid occupations and have better social and economic outcomes than Blacks and women. Because education is positively related to such outcomes, more limited access to educational opportunities for non-whites and women may have contributed to these racial and gender gaps.

Many jurisdictions now require employers to disclose expected compensation in job advertisements. While evidence suggests that such pay transparency can reduce labor market disparities, little is known about the underlying mechanisms, especially regarding how pay transparency affects recruiters’ perceptions and the demands of negotiating candidates.  Economists Taeho Kim and Clémentine Van Effenterre will investigate how recruiters evaluate candidates who negotiate for higher pay, how this varies by a candidate’s gender and with pay transparency.