Tim Köhler
@timkohler.bsky.social
Development microeconomist, mostly labour. Research Fellow @dpru-uct.bsky.social, UCT 🇿🇦 • Visiting Scholar @unu-wider.bsky.social 🇫🇮 • Consultant, World Bank • Research Associate, RESEP, Stellenbosch University • PhD, UCT
https://timothykohler.github.io
https://timothykohler.github.io
A really fantastic few days in Maputo 🇲🇿 for the IGM Annual Conference & Policy Symposium, hosted by @unu-wider.bsky.social. A wonderful city with many challenges but no shortage of super welcoming people. I hope to return soon!
November 16, 2025 at 6:35 PM
A really fantastic few days in Maputo 🇲🇿 for the IGM Annual Conference & Policy Symposium, hosted by @unu-wider.bsky.social. A wonderful city with many challenges but no shortage of super welcoming people. I hope to return soon!
Reposted by Tim Köhler
Join us at UCT for our 2-day December Workshop co-hosted with ERSA, discussing frontier research in applied economics for developing countries!
2 keynotes: Taryn Dinkelman & Joseph Kaboski.
12 presenters from 7 international & 4 local universities, & PhD student panels.
2 keynotes: Taryn Dinkelman & Joseph Kaboski.
12 presenters from 7 international & 4 local universities, & PhD student panels.
October 27, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Join us at UCT for our 2-day December Workshop co-hosted with ERSA, discussing frontier research in applied economics for developing countries!
2 keynotes: Taryn Dinkelman & Joseph Kaboski.
12 presenters from 7 international & 4 local universities, & PhD student panels.
2 keynotes: Taryn Dinkelman & Joseph Kaboski.
12 presenters from 7 international & 4 local universities, & PhD student panels.
Great to be in Sydney🇦🇺 for the first time for the 2025 @sioecon.bsky.social Conference hosted by UNSW. Turns out koalas are indeed real (and adorable!), and apparently sleep even more than academics after conference dinners.
August 25, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Great to be in Sydney🇦🇺 for the first time for the 2025 @sioecon.bsky.social Conference hosted by UNSW. Turns out koalas are indeed real (and adorable!), and apparently sleep even more than academics after conference dinners.
Reposted by Tim Köhler
🆕 The gender pay gap in South Africa: Firms, formality and churn
Today on VoxDev, Ihsaan Bassier (@uniofsurrey.bsky.social) & @leilagautham.bsky.social (@universityofleeds.bsky.social) discuss the dynamics of the gender pay gap in South Africa: voxdev.org/topic/labour...
Today on VoxDev, Ihsaan Bassier (@uniofsurrey.bsky.social) & @leilagautham.bsky.social (@universityofleeds.bsky.social) discuss the dynamics of the gender pay gap in South Africa: voxdev.org/topic/labour...
The gender pay gap in South Africa: Firms, formality and churn
Half of South Africa’s gender pay gap comes from women sorting into low-paying firms, with low formality and high churn being key to understanding this dynamic.
voxdev.org
July 15, 2025 at 10:00 AM
🆕 The gender pay gap in South Africa: Firms, formality and churn
Today on VoxDev, Ihsaan Bassier (@uniofsurrey.bsky.social) & @leilagautham.bsky.social (@universityofleeds.bsky.social) discuss the dynamics of the gender pay gap in South Africa: voxdev.org/topic/labour...
Today on VoxDev, Ihsaan Bassier (@uniofsurrey.bsky.social) & @leilagautham.bsky.social (@universityofleeds.bsky.social) discuss the dynamics of the gender pay gap in South Africa: voxdev.org/topic/labour...
Reposted by Tim Köhler
HAROON BHORAT (@haroonbhorat.bsky.social, our colleague at @dpru-uct.bsky.social): Getting the numbers right on the informal economy
www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2...
www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2...
HAROON BHORAT: Getting the numbers right on the informal economy
It is wrong to assume that what is true at the local level must translate to a 1:1 relationship at national level
www.businesslive.co.za
June 26, 2025 at 8:17 AM
HAROON BHORAT (@haroonbhorat.bsky.social, our colleague at @dpru-uct.bsky.social): Getting the numbers right on the informal economy
www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2...
www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2...
Very grateful to be in Senegal 🇸🇳 for the first time this week for @j-pal.bsky.social’s Summer School on advanced randomised evaluation design. Many thanks to J-PAL, CESAG, @afd-france.bsky.social, and others for hosting me!
July 9, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Very grateful to be in Senegal 🇸🇳 for the first time this week for @j-pal.bsky.social’s Summer School on advanced randomised evaluation design. Many thanks to J-PAL, CESAG, @afd-france.bsky.social, and others for hosting me!
A fantastic and timely summer school, thanks very much @rodrigooliveira.bsky.social and the @unu-wider.bsky.social team for organising!
The 2025 UNU-WIDER Summer School wraps up today in Helsinki! 🎓 A huge thank you to all participants, especially the emerging scholars tackling intergenerational social mobility. Stay tuned for their impactful research on ensuring societies Leave No One Behind. More info: go.unu.edu/P8JTH
June 13, 2025 at 8:11 PM
A fantastic and timely summer school, thanks very much @rodrigooliveira.bsky.social and the @unu-wider.bsky.social team for organising!
Reposted by Tim Köhler
Now up: the 9th in my annual series of efforts to put together data on development journals: rankings, number of papers submitted (over 12,000 last year across 12 journals), number published (937), acceptance rates, time to review, open access stats, and more... blogs.worldbank.org/en/impacteva...
The State of Development Journals 2025: Quality, Acceptance Rates, Review Times, Open Access, and What’s New
blogs.worldbank.org
June 9, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Now up: the 9th in my annual series of efforts to put together data on development journals: rankings, number of papers submitted (over 12,000 last year across 12 journals), number published (937), acceptance rates, time to review, open access stats, and more... blogs.worldbank.org/en/impacteva...
Grateful to be attending the 2025 @unu-wider.bsky.social Development Conference here in Helsinki, which explicitly focuses on the role of social protection in driving growth and equality. Only Day 1 and I’ve learnt so much from everyone’s impressive work already!
Fascinating research presented by WIDER Visiting Scholar Timothy Köhler on South Africa's social relief grant.
The paper reveals cash transfers to the unemployed boosted
🔎job search
📦business attempts
💼employment
though long-term effects aren't universal
#WIDERDevConf2025
The paper reveals cash transfers to the unemployed boosted
🔎job search
📦business attempts
💼employment
though long-term effects aren't universal
#WIDERDevConf2025
June 9, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Grateful to be attending the 2025 @unu-wider.bsky.social Development Conference here in Helsinki, which explicitly focuses on the role of social protection in driving growth and equality. Only Day 1 and I’ve learnt so much from everyone’s impressive work already!
Great to be a part of this work. Excited to see how it evolves!
An exciting workshop at UNU-WIDER earlier this week, as researchers gathered to finetune their research plans and both hear and provide expert feedback.
Follow the project, a part of @schmidtsciences.bsky.social initiative on AI at work: go.unu.edu/5OVXX
Follow the project, a part of @schmidtsciences.bsky.social initiative on AI at work: go.unu.edu/5OVXX
June 6, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Great to be a part of this work. Excited to see how it evolves!
It’s been a really great two months so far, very grateful to be here! Thanks very much to the welcoming folks at @unu-wider.bsky.social for having me.
First one of our spring 2025 Visiting Scholars to be introduced is @timkohler.bsky.social. Coming from @dpru-uct.bsky.social, he is a micro-economist focused on labour markets, social protection, and policy evaluation in lower-income countries. Meet our visitors: go.unu.edu/D0wIP
June 1, 2025 at 12:37 PM
It’s been a really great two months so far, very grateful to be here! Thanks very much to the welcoming folks at @unu-wider.bsky.social for having me.
How have the returns to education evolved during the post-Apartheid era in South Africa?🇿🇦
Read about it in a new short Econ3x3 blog I’ve put together below, summarizing a 2024 RESEP paper also below.
www.econ3x3.org/article/how-...
Full paper for those interested: resep.sun.ac.za/wp-content/u...
Read about it in a new short Econ3x3 blog I’ve put together below, summarizing a 2024 RESEP paper also below.
www.econ3x3.org/article/how-...
Full paper for those interested: resep.sun.ac.za/wp-content/u...
How have the returns to education evolved in post-apartheid South Africa? | Econ3x3
www.econ3x3.org
May 26, 2025 at 11:23 AM
How have the returns to education evolved during the post-Apartheid era in South Africa?🇿🇦
Read about it in a new short Econ3x3 blog I’ve put together below, summarizing a 2024 RESEP paper also below.
www.econ3x3.org/article/how-...
Full paper for those interested: resep.sun.ac.za/wp-content/u...
Read about it in a new short Econ3x3 blog I’ve put together below, summarizing a 2024 RESEP paper also below.
www.econ3x3.org/article/how-...
Full paper for those interested: resep.sun.ac.za/wp-content/u...
Presented some work at the University of Turku🇫🇮 today. Grateful for the opportunity to share some ideas & learn from such a welcoming & kind group of researchers - an impressive bunch doing great work. Thanks to @jerniemin.bsky.social @asfandyk.bsky.social @selcencakir.bsky.social for organising!
May 13, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Presented some work at the University of Turku🇫🇮 today. Grateful for the opportunity to share some ideas & learn from such a welcoming & kind group of researchers - an impressive bunch doing great work. Thanks to @jerniemin.bsky.social @asfandyk.bsky.social @selcencakir.bsky.social for organising!
Reposted by Tim Köhler
Today's cool young researcher #econtwitter #econsky is @TimothyKohler @timkohler.bsky.social @DPRU_UCT who works on topics related to labor + development
May 12, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Today's cool young researcher #econtwitter #econsky is @TimothyKohler @timkohler.bsky.social @DPRU_UCT who works on topics related to labor + development
Very grateful to be in beautiful Maastricht🇳🇱 today to present some work at @unumerit.bsky.social. Thanks for having me!
If you’re interested in attending in-person or online: go.unu.edu/9zq7Q
If you’re interested in attending in-person or online: go.unu.edu/9zq7Q
April 24, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Very grateful to be in beautiful Maastricht🇳🇱 today to present some work at @unumerit.bsky.social. Thanks for having me!
If you’re interested in attending in-person or online: go.unu.edu/9zq7Q
If you’re interested in attending in-person or online: go.unu.edu/9zq7Q
Very excited and grateful to be in beautiful Helsinki 🇫🇮 for the next few months as a Visiting Scholar at @unu-wider.bsky.social. If you’re around and would be keen to connect, please get in touch!
April 9, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Very excited and grateful to be in beautiful Helsinki 🇫🇮 for the next few months as a Visiting Scholar at @unu-wider.bsky.social. If you’re around and would be keen to connect, please get in touch!
Reposted by Tim Köhler
Hi Bluesky! We're a research unit at University of Cape Town, addressing challenges facing children in South Africa through research, advocacy & education. We explore tensions between policy, practice & lived realities, to promote design & implementation of laws & services enabling kids to thrive 🌱
March 18, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Hi Bluesky! We're a research unit at University of Cape Town, addressing challenges facing children in South Africa through research, advocacy & education. We explore tensions between policy, practice & lived realities, to promote design & implementation of laws & services enabling kids to thrive 🌱
Reposted by Tim Köhler
Hello, Bluesky #EconSky! We're the Southern Africa Labour & Development Research Unit (SALDRU) at UCT, dedicated to challenging inequalities through policy-relevant academic research. We are one of the leading Labour & Development #Economics units on the continent. Explore our work: saldru.uct.ac.za
March 18, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Hello, Bluesky #EconSky! We're the Southern Africa Labour & Development Research Unit (SALDRU) at UCT, dedicated to challenging inequalities through policy-relevant academic research. We are one of the leading Labour & Development #Economics units on the continent. Explore our work: saldru.uct.ac.za
Reposted by Tim Köhler
🔊Postdoc Research Fellowship at DataFirst!
Analyze large-scale African foundational learning data, conduct original research, & shape education policy.
Apply now!
➡️https://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za/articles/2025-02-04-postdoctoral-research-fellowship-opportunity
Analyze large-scale African foundational learning data, conduct original research, & shape education policy.
Apply now!
➡️https://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za/articles/2025-02-04-postdoctoral-research-fellowship-opportunity
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Opportunity
We invite applications for a postdoctoral position to work in the AFLEARN Data Hub. The successful candidate will be involved in original empirical research; collating and analysing large-scale Africa...
www.datafirst.uct.ac.za
March 7, 2025 at 9:33 AM
🔊Postdoc Research Fellowship at DataFirst!
Analyze large-scale African foundational learning data, conduct original research, & shape education policy.
Apply now!
➡️https://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za/articles/2025-02-04-postdoctoral-research-fellowship-opportunity
Analyze large-scale African foundational learning data, conduct original research, & shape education policy.
Apply now!
➡️https://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za/articles/2025-02-04-postdoctoral-research-fellowship-opportunity
Excited to be joining @unu-wider.bsky.social in Helsinki 🇫🇮 as a Visiting Scholar for 3 months starting in April! While there, my work will focus on social protection policy & labor market inequality in lower-income countries, with a particular focus on South Africa. Very much looking forward to it!
March 3, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Excited to be joining @unu-wider.bsky.social in Helsinki 🇫🇮 as a Visiting Scholar for 3 months starting in April! While there, my work will focus on social protection policy & labor market inequality in lower-income countries, with a particular focus on South Africa. Very much looking forward to it!
How has the return to education evolved in post-Apartheid SA?🇿🇦
Happy to share a new working paper where I use reliable earnings data not publicly available to provide a more precise analysis than previously possible.
🔗: tinyurl.com/educ-returns...
5 key findings below!
Happy to share a new working paper where I use reliable earnings data not publicly available to provide a more precise analysis than previously possible.
🔗: tinyurl.com/educ-returns...
5 key findings below!
March 3, 2025 at 8:42 AM
How has the return to education evolved in post-Apartheid SA?🇿🇦
Happy to share a new working paper where I use reliable earnings data not publicly available to provide a more precise analysis than previously possible.
🔗: tinyurl.com/educ-returns...
5 key findings below!
Happy to share a new working paper where I use reliable earnings data not publicly available to provide a more precise analysis than previously possible.
🔗: tinyurl.com/educ-returns...
5 key findings below!
Reposted by Tim Köhler
Been a while since we shared this!
Here is a selection of our favourite sources of research, newsletters, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos related to development economics, including researchers who have written for VoxDev.
go.bsky.app/4rsxm7G
Here is a selection of our favourite sources of research, newsletters, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos related to development economics, including researchers who have written for VoxDev.
go.bsky.app/4rsxm7G
February 19, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Been a while since we shared this!
Here is a selection of our favourite sources of research, newsletters, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos related to development economics, including researchers who have written for VoxDev.
go.bsky.app/4rsxm7G
Here is a selection of our favourite sources of research, newsletters, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos related to development economics, including researchers who have written for VoxDev.
go.bsky.app/4rsxm7G
Reposted by Tim Köhler
Adaptation helped Cape Town, South Africa dodge the Day Zero drought (where city's pipes run dry), but with long-term fiscal, distributional, and environmental consequences, from Alexander C. Abajian, Cassandra Cole, Kelsey Jack, Kyle C. Meng, and Martine Visser https://www.nber.org/papers/w33468
February 18, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Adaptation helped Cape Town, South Africa dodge the Day Zero drought (where city's pipes run dry), but with long-term fiscal, distributional, and environmental consequences, from Alexander C. Abajian, Cassandra Cole, Kelsey Jack, Kyle C. Meng, and Martine Visser https://www.nber.org/papers/w33468
Reposted by Tim Köhler
📢CALL FOR PAPERS
7th annual conference of the Baltic economic association
📅Deadline: 15 March 2025
👨🏫Keynote: Luigi Guiso
➡️Learn more and submit: conf2025.balticecon.org
#EconSky #EconConf
7th annual conference of the Baltic economic association
📅Deadline: 15 March 2025
👨🏫Keynote: Luigi Guiso
➡️Learn more and submit: conf2025.balticecon.org
#EconSky #EconConf
BEC - 26-27 June 2025 - Vilnius, Lithuania
conf2025.balticecon.org
January 29, 2025 at 8:53 AM
📢CALL FOR PAPERS
7th annual conference of the Baltic economic association
📅Deadline: 15 March 2025
👨🏫Keynote: Luigi Guiso
➡️Learn more and submit: conf2025.balticecon.org
#EconSky #EconConf
7th annual conference of the Baltic economic association
📅Deadline: 15 March 2025
👨🏫Keynote: Luigi Guiso
➡️Learn more and submit: conf2025.balticecon.org
#EconSky #EconConf
Reposted by Tim Köhler
In the News: 'Noncompliance with minimum wage rising, study finds'
New Business Day article referencing Haroon Bhorat, @timkohler.bsky.social, and Ben Stanwix's evaluation of the labour market effects of the 2024 ⬆️ in South Africa’s🇿🇦 National Minimum Wage.
www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/...
New Business Day article referencing Haroon Bhorat, @timkohler.bsky.social, and Ben Stanwix's evaluation of the labour market effects of the 2024 ⬆️ in South Africa’s🇿🇦 National Minimum Wage.
www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/...
Noncompliance with minimum wage rising, study finds
National minimum wage is a theoretical exercise that does not take cognisance of stakeholder inputs, says Neasa
www.businesslive.co.za
January 15, 2025 at 8:16 AM
In the News: 'Noncompliance with minimum wage rising, study finds'
New Business Day article referencing Haroon Bhorat, @timkohler.bsky.social, and Ben Stanwix's evaluation of the labour market effects of the 2024 ⬆️ in South Africa’s🇿🇦 National Minimum Wage.
www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/...
New Business Day article referencing Haroon Bhorat, @timkohler.bsky.social, and Ben Stanwix's evaluation of the labour market effects of the 2024 ⬆️ in South Africa’s🇿🇦 National Minimum Wage.
www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/...