Introduction to Labor Economics
ECO 324
Trejo
Course Schedule
Fall 2021
Class meetings will take place on the days listed below at our scheduled time and place: TuTh 2:00-3:15 p.m.
in PAR 301. The live class meetings will be recorded using the Lectures Online system and made available on
the course Canvas site (click on the left menu tab for “Lectures Online”). Class meetings will not be held on
the day of an exam, but class meetings will be held on the day of a quiz. Exams and quizzes will be
administered online via Canvas (under “Quizzes”), as described in the course syllabus. Course materials (notes,
problem sets, readings, podcasts, etc.) are available on Canvas, including a digital version of the textbook
should you choose to purchase it (under “My Textbooks”).
Date Event
Thurs, Aug 26 Lecture 1: Introduction
Complete before next lecture:
Chapter 1 in textbook, Introduction (including Appendix)
Practice Exam
Tues, Aug 31 Lecture 2: Labor Supply, Theory
Complete before next lecture:
Chapter 2 in textbook, Labor Supply
Thurs, Sept 2 Lecture 3: Labor Supply, Theory
Tues, Sept 7 Lecture 4: Labor Supply, Theory
Complete before next lecture:
Problem Set 1
Thurs, Sept 9 Lecture 5: Discuss Problem Set 1
Complete before next lecture:
Reading: Stafford, “Do Workers Work More When Earnings are High?,” IZA World of
Labor, November 2018, pp. 1-11
Tues, Sept 14 Lecture 6: Labor Supply, Evidence
Thurs, Sept 16 Exam 1
Tues, Sept 21 Lecture 7: Labor Supply, Evidence
Complete before next lecture:
Problem Set 2
Thurs, Sept 23 Lecture 8: Discuss Problem Set 2
Complete before next lecture:
Readings:
1. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “The Earned Income Tax Credit,” Policy
Basics, December 2019, pp. 1-4
2. Hoynes, “A Revolution in Poverty Policy,” Pathways, Summer 2014, pp. 23-27
Tues, Sept 28 Lecture 9: Labor Supply, Earned Income Tax Credit
Complete before next lecture:
Chapter 3 in textbook, Labor Demand
Thurs, Sept 30 Quiz 1
Lecture 10: Labor Demand, Theory
Complete before next lecture:
Chapter 4 in textbook, Labor Market Equilibrium
Reading: Hall, Kendrick, and Nosko, “The Effects of Uber’s Surge Pricing: A Case Study”
Tues, Oct 5 Lecture 11: Labor Market Equilibrium, Theory
Complete before next lecture:
Problem Set 3
Thurs, Oct 7 Lecture 12: Discuss Problem Set 3
Complete before next lecture:
Reading: Scheiber, “Inside an Amazon Warehouse, Robots’ Ways Rub Off on Humans,”
New York Times, 7/3/2019
Planet Money podcasts:
1. Episode 536, “The Future of Work Looks Like a UPS Truck,” 5/2/2014
2. Episode 624, “I, Waiter,” 5/16/2015
Tues, Oct 12 Lecture 13: Labor Market Equilibrium, Payroll Tax, Automation
Thurs, Oct 14 Exam 2
Complete before next lecture:
Planet Money podcast: Episode 562, “A Mall Divided,” 8/22/2014
Freakonomics podcast: Episode 460, “The True Story of the Minimum-Wage Fight,”
4/28/2021
Tues, Oct 19 Lecture 14: Labor Market Equilibrium, Minimum Wages
Complete before next lecture:
Chapter 5 in textbook, Compensating Wage Differentials
Thurs, Oct 21 Lecture 15: Compensating Wage Differentials, Theory
Complete before next lecture:
Reading: Goldin, “How to Achieve Gender Equality in Pay,” Milken Institute Review, July
2015, pp 24-33
Freakonomics podcasts:
1. Episode 232, “The True Story of the Gender Pay Gap,” 1/7/2016
2. Episode 317, “What Can Uber Teach Us About the Gender Pay Gap?,” 2/6/2018
Tues, Oct 26 Lecture 16: Compensating Wage Differentials, Gender Pay Gap
Complete before next lecture:
Problem Set 4
Thurs, Oct 28 Quiz 2
Lecture 17: Discuss Problem Set 4
Complete before next lecture:
Chapter 6 in textbook, Education
Freakonomics podcasts:
1. Episode 86, “Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 1,” 7/30/2012
2. Episode 88, “Freakonomics Goes to College, Part 2,” 8/16/2012
Tues, Nov 2 Lecture 18: Education, Theory
Complete before next lecture:
Readings:
1. Chetty et al., “Great Teaching: Measuring Its Effects on Students’ Future
Earnings,” Education Next, Summer 2012, pp. 59-68 (including commentary)
2. Caplan, “The World Might Be Better Off Without College for Everyone,” The
Atlantic, January/February 2018
Thurs, Nov 4 Lecture 19: Education, Evidence
Complete before next lecture:
Problem Set 5
Tues, Nov 9 Lecture 20: Discuss Problem Set 5
Thurs, Nov 11 Exam 3
Complete before next lecture:
Chapter 7 in textbook, Wage Distribution
Tues, Nov 16 Lecture 21: Wage Distribution, Theory
Complete before next lecture:
Readings:
1. Goldin and Katz, “The Future of Inequality,” Milken Institute Review, July 2009,
pp 26-33
2. Greenstone and Looney, “Trends: Men in Trouble,” Milken Institute Review, July
2011, pp 8-16
Thurs, Nov 18 Lecture 22: Wage Distribution, Evidence
2
Complete before next lecture:
Chapter 8 in textbook, Labor Mobility
Tues, Nov 23 Quiz 3
Lecture 23: Labor Mobility, Theory
Thurs, Nov 25 Thanksgiving Holiday (no class)
Tues, Nov 30 Lecture 24: Labor Mobility, Evidence
Complete before next lecture:
Problem Set 6
Thurs, Dec 2 Lecture 25: Discuss Problem Set 6
Thurs, Dec 9 Exam 4
