The Work Goes On
An Oral History of Industrial Relations and Labor Economics
In this podcast series of conversations with leading thinkers and practitioners, we are creating an oral history of an entire generation of industrial relations experts and labor economists whose contributions to their fields have been absolutely extraordinary. Hosted by Orley Ashenfelter, the Joseph Douglas Green 1895 Professor of Economics at Princeton University.
Francine Blau and Lawrence Kahn on labor market inequalities and the future of the gender wage gap
Francine Blau and Lawrence Kahn, both of whom are professors of economics at Cornell University, join the podcast to discuss what inspired them to study economics, why they like working together, and the current state of gender inequities in the U.S. labor market.
John Pencavel on growing up in London’s West End and his sympathy for workers and unions
John Pencavel, the Levin Professor of Economics, Emeritus at Stanford University, joins the podcast to talk about his early life in London, his most popular research, and his perspective on recent efforts to unionize workers at Amazon, Starbucks, and other companies in the U.S.
Reuben Gronau on his many contributions to Israeli economic policy
Reuben Gronau, Professor of Economics Emeritus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, joins the podcast to talk about what inspired his interest in labor economics and his many contributions to Israeli economic policy.
James Heckman on his early academic career and the work that makes him proud
James J. Heckman, Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor in Economics at the University of Chicago, joins the podcast to discuss graduate school at Princeton, why an often overlooked paper on the effect of civil rights laws is his favorite, and much more.
Daniel Hamermesh on the overhyped four-day work week and a lifetime of creative labor economics research
Daniel Hamermesh, the Sue Killam Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin, joins the podcast to talk to Princeton’s Orley Ashenfelter about “the promise” of the four-day work week, how physical appearance affects compensation, and his lifetime of contributions to the field of labor economics.