IZA World of Labor - Commentary

Commentary

Watch exclusive video from conferences, debates and other events on labor market economics as well as reading the latest opinion pieces from IZA World of Labor authors.

December 05, 2025

Pierre Koning, Roger Prudon

Sick or unemployed? The real reason behind spikes in sickness benefit claim

Spikes in sickness benefit claims stem from delayed take-up rather than moral hazard, so clearer information and closer monitoring can help sick workers obtain support sooner
December 03, 2025

Mery Ferrando, Noemi Katzkowicz, Thomas Le Barbanchon, Diego Ubfal

The power of working while studying: Lessons from Uruguay’s work-study program

Well-designed work-study programs can boost young people’s long-term job prospects and earnings, easing their transition to adulthood
November 25, 2025

Yuri Barreto, Diogo Britto, Bladimir Carrillo, Daniel Da Mata, Lucas Emanuel, Breno Sampaio

Cisterns for life: Climate adaptation policies for water provision and rural lives

Expanding rainwater harvesting provides a low-cost way to advance poverty reduction and climate adaptation
November 11, 2025

Hannah Klauber, Nicolas Koch, Nico Pestel

Heat waves are a widespread threat to the workforce

Heat waves that persist for three days or longer have lasting effects on workers as medical and sick-leave costs stay high for up to four years

IZA World of Labor discussion on the economics of sport

IZA World of Labor discussion on the economics of sport with Mike Leeds from Temple University, Lawrence Kahn from Cornell University and Kerry Papps from University of Bradford

The questions in the discussion include:
- Could you generalize about the size of discriminatory outcomes in sports? If not, how about some examples, including from the world’s most important sport—football—which we Americans call soccer?
- Make or buy is a standard question for managers generally? What about in sports—train your own, or poach from other sports franchises?
- How can we measure individual productivity in sports, when, except for golf or tennis or skiing, for examples, the outcome results from team efforts?
- Why should someone with no interest in sports per se care about this? And if they should, what are some additional examples that are readily generalizable?
- Babe Ruth made $100K in his peak year, around double the U.S. President then. (He justified the salary by saying he was more productive than Calvin Coolidge!) Today’s stars in are earning 100 times what the U.S. president is paid. Is The Babe’s explanation still valid, or is there more to the astronomical salaries?

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IZA World of Labor discussion on the economics of education

IZA World of Labor discussion on the economics of education with Shqiponja Telhaj from the University of Sussex, Eric Taylor from Harvard University and John Friedman from Brown University

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IZA World of Labor discussion on the economics of crime

IZA World of Labor discussion on the economics of crime with Nadia Campaniello from the University of Torino and Kevin Schnepel from Simon Fraser University

The questions discussed include:

- How does education affect the kind of crimes one might engage in?
- What crime might one be more likely to commit as a college graduate?
- How can we reduce crime through diversion?
- What kind of crimes do women commit that are different to men?
- If there is a crime that both men and women commit – is there a difference in the amount of jail time served? Are women treated with more leniency?
- The opioid epidemic – if we entirely eliminated opioid addiction, how much would property crime be reduced?
- What makes repeat crime more likely?

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IZA World of Labor discussion on higher education

IZA World of Labor discussion on higher education with Susanna Loeb from Stanford University, Doug Webber from the Consumer and Community Research Section of the Federal Reserve Board and John Winters from Iowa State University

Question for all participants: One of the real staples of labor economics is measuring the rate of return to higher education. Is it a result of marketable skills that people have gained at university?
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