Publications
Short-Run Effects of Parental Job Loss on Child Health (with Jessamyn Schaller)
[Forthcoming, American Journal of Health Economics. A previous version circulated as NBER Working Paper No. 21745]
Abstract: Recent research suggests that parental job loss has negative effects on children's outcomes, including their academic achievement and long-run educational and labor market outcomes. In this paper we turn our attention to the effects of parental job loss on children's health. We combine health data from 16 waves of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which allows us to use a fixed effects specification and still have a large sample of parental job displacements. We find that paternal job loss is harmful to children's physical and mental health, particularly among children in low-socioeconomic status (SES) families. By contrast, we find that maternal job loss does not have detrimental effects on child health. Increases in public health insurance coverage compensate for close to half of the loss in private coverage that follows parental displacement, and we find no significant changes in medical care utilization.
[Forthcoming, American Journal of Health Economics. A previous version circulated as NBER Working Paper No. 21745]
Abstract: Recent research suggests that parental job loss has negative effects on children's outcomes, including their academic achievement and long-run educational and labor market outcomes. In this paper we turn our attention to the effects of parental job loss on children's health. We combine health data from 16 waves of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which allows us to use a fixed effects specification and still have a large sample of parental job displacements. We find that paternal job loss is harmful to children's physical and mental health, particularly among children in low-socioeconomic status (SES) families. By contrast, we find that maternal job loss does not have detrimental effects on child health. Increases in public health insurance coverage compensate for close to half of the loss in private coverage that follows parental displacement, and we find no significant changes in medical care utilization.
Working Papers
Short and Medium Run Impacts of Preschool Education: Evidence from State Pre-K Programs
Abstract: I study the effects of state preschool programs on child development, health, and academic progress from ages 5 to 12. I leverage variation in the timing of implementation of pre-K programs across states to look at the effects of a large and representative group of programs, using data from state legislatures and two national household surveys. I find that availability of pre-K programs improves developmental outcomes and causes persistent reductions in grade repetition. My results also suggest increased health problems only in the short run. I provide bounds for policy-relevant local average treatment effects that imply large effects.
Abstract: I study the effects of state preschool programs on child development, health, and academic progress from ages 5 to 12. I leverage variation in the timing of implementation of pre-K programs across states to look at the effects of a large and representative group of programs, using data from state legislatures and two national household surveys. I find that availability of pre-K programs improves developmental outcomes and causes persistent reductions in grade repetition. My results also suggest increased health problems only in the short run. I provide bounds for policy-relevant local average treatment effects that imply large effects.
Work in Progress
Distributional effects of social assistance in a context of high informality: Evidence from the Uruguayan PANES (with Marco Manacorda and Andrea Vigorito)
Children's health insurance coverage and health expenses after parental job loss: Are families landing in or falling through the safety net? (with Chloe East, Elira Kuka and Jessamyn Schaller)