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Data Improvement and Labor Economics

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  • Kevin F. Hallock

Abstract

The expansion of available data for research has transformed empirical labor economics over the past generation. This paper briefly highlights some of the changes and describes a few examples of papers that illustrate the advances. It also documents the changing ways data have been used in the Journal of Labor Economics over the past 30 years, including a trend toward a higher fraction of papers using any data and, among those papers using any data, a higher fraction using nonpublic data, a higher fraction using international data, and more frequent use of multiple data sources. Finally, this paper describes work that came out of the recent Princeton Data Improvement Initiative--a program that considers and furthers improved data collection.

Suggested Citation

  • Kevin F. Hallock, 2013. "Data Improvement and Labor Economics," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 31(S1), pages 1-16.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/670384
    DOI: 10.1086/670384
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