Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2023 - ECON 480 D100

Seminar in the Economics of Labor Market Policy (3)

Class Number: 4075

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 6 – Oct 6, 2023: Tue, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

    Oct 11 – Dec 5, 2023: Tue, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    ECON (or BUEC) 333 with a minimum grade of C-.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Seminar focusing on public policy as it relates to employment and income security. Special emphasis will vary from term to term, but may include such topics as examinations of current manpower, welfare and public insurance programs, labor legislation, and private institutional practices (such as union-management pension arrangements) that may affect income security.

COURSE DETAILS:

Why do some people earn a lot, while others do not? Our focus will be the theoretical and empirical determinants of wages. We will discuss theories of wage determination and the role of policy, and learn how to bring theory to the data to understand labor market outcomes and how they shape the world around us.

This course will have a substantive quantitative component.  We will spend quite a bit of time talking and thinking about econometrics (regression, especially). We will use the lab extensively to sharpen the regression tools you learned in ECON 333, and to learn some important extensions to those tools. In the lab and assignments, you will learn to use (and code!) STATA, which is the statistical software used by most economists. You’ll also get some practice working with large population-level data sets. The assignments will prepare you to write a term paper in which you will pose and answer a question about the Canadian labor market.

Topics: Theories of wage determination in competitive labor markets, regression methods, wage decomposition methods, hands-on regression analysis of wage determinants in large data sets using STATA.

 

 

Grading

  • Midterm exam 20%
  • Assignments using STATA 55%
  • Final paper 25%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

None. However, you will require a student version of STATA to complete the assignments.


RECOMMENDED READING:

  • Any textbook used in ECON 333.
  • D. Angrist and J.-S. Pischke “Mastering ‘Metrics: The Path from Cause to Effect,” Princeton University Press (2014).

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

Please note that, as per Policy T20.01, the course requirements (and grading scheme) outlined here are subject to change up until the end of the first week of classes.

Final exam schedules will be released during the second month of classes. If your course has a final exam, please ensure that you are available during the entire final exam period until you receive confirmation of your exam dates. 

Students requiring accommodations as a result of a disability must contact the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) at 778-782-3112 or caladmin@sfu.ca.

***NO TUTORIALS DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES***

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the semester are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.