Prof. Couch has recently been named associate editor of the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (JPAM). This is the official journal of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, a national association of public policy analysts and managers. JPAM is considered by most to be the top public policy journal in the United States.
Couch
Research by Prof Couch discussed in WSJ and on CNN
Recent research by Prof. Kenneth Couch, previously presented on this blog has been featured today in an article of the Wall Street Journal. This work, written with Nicholas Jolly (MA, PhD) and Dana Placzek, shows that workers who have lost their jobs in mass layoffs suffer from significant wage losses in subsequent jobs, losses that can persist for years. The immediate drop amounts to 18% on average in a recession, leading to significant reductions in household welfare.
This story has subsequently been picked up by CNN.
Report examines impact of mass layoffs on workers’ long-term earnings
From the UConn Advance:
For workers losing jobs due to mass layoffs in the current economic downturn, the bad news is that more people than ever are looking for work right now, making it the toughest job market in at least two decades.
But for those lucky enough to find another job, there is more bad news: they will likely suffer lower wages for many years compared to similar workers who are not laid off.
A new study (pdf) from UConn and the Connecticut Department of Labor shows how the business cycle plays a determining role in the extent of wage losses for workers let go in mass layoffs and plant closings.
The study finds that for workers losing jobs during a recession, the damage to their earnings can linger for years. By contrast, for workers who lose jobs as part of a mass layoff or plant closure in more favorable times, long-term earnings losses are negligible.
Kenneth Couch (IDEAS), an associate professor of economics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, teamed up with researchers at the Connecticut Department of Labor, economist Nicholas Jolly (MA, PhD) and analyst Dana Placzek, for the study.
Read more in the UConn Advance
Spring awards banquet honors students and faculty
On April 17, 2009, the Economics Department convened for its annual awards banquet to honor undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty. This year’s award recipients were:
Undergraduate students
Omicron Delta Epsilon inductees
Lucia Caldari
Anthony Craparo, Jr.
Michael Gurdjian
Eric Roy
Louis D. Traurig Scholarship
John Doyle
Mark Guastaferri
Daniel Marcoux
Michelle Prairie
Eric Roy
Liza Zenkin
Paul N. Taylor Memorial Prize
Lucia Caldari
Poojitha Kondabolu
Rockwwod Q. P. Chin Scholarship
Vishal Kewalramani
Matthew Sangphet
Michael Shell
Economics Department Scholarship
Vishal Kewalramani
Matthew Sangphet
Michael Shell
Audrey Beck Scholarship
Joseph Antelmi
Graduate students
Audrey Beck Scholarship
Gulgun Bayaz
W. Harrison Carter Award
Matthiew Burnside
Leshui He
Troy Helming
Abraham Ribicoff Award
Patrick Flaherty
Albert E. Waugh Scholarship
Lei Chen
Faculty
Grillo Research Award
Kenneth Couch (IDEAS)
Stephen Ross (IDEAS)
Grillo Teaching and Service Award
Thomas Miceli
In addition, the following undergraduate students have been inducted in Phi Beta Kappa, the undergraduate national honor society:
Yi-Jun Chen
Ryan Esplin
Matthew Fitzpatrick
Philip Gorecki
Poojitha Kondabolu
Benjamin Linhard
Daniel Marcoux
Bryan Murphy
Shannon Patrick
Michelle Prairie
William Watson
Congratulations to all recipients!