Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

AI is changing higher education, but students aren’t using it how you’d expect

IZA @iza.org · 6d

New survey from an elite college: 80% of students use AI—mostly to learn, not cheat. Low-achievers use it most, but will this help or hurt them?

IZA paper by Zara Contractor & Germán Reyes: Higher ed needs smart policies & AI literacy, not bans.

newsroom.iza.org/en/archive/r... #EconSky #EduSky

New survey: 80% of students use generative AI, primarily to enhance understanding rather than automate coursework

The labor market in Turkey, 2000-2024

3 2

IZA @iza.org · 13d

Turkey’s labor market is struggling to create enough quality jobs, despite a more educated workforce. Investing in public care and active labor market policies will be key to employment growth.

Check out the latest IZA WoL country article by @tekguchasan.bsky.social:
👉 wol.iza.org/articles/the...

Turkey needs to significantly invest in public care to complement educational compositional change for employment growth

1

Reposted by IZA

LISER - Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research @liser.lu · 15d

🎬 #PolicyLabLISER wraps-up w/ the 2nd keynote “Evidence vs. Seduction: the Struggle" by Prof. Jean Hindriks + closing words from Frederic Docquier & Olga Nottmeyer (@iza.org)

🙏Thanks to everyone— researchers, policymakers, civil society & all who believe in turning insights into real #socialimpact

Seeds of trust: How churches helped sustain civic life behind the “iron curtain”

Reposted by IZA

ECONtribute @econtribute.bsky.social · 27d

Today is the last day of the Chicago School in Experimental Economics taking place in Bonn, organized by @econtribute.bsky.social, @iza.org and the University of Chicago. Thanks to everyone that participated! @luca-henkel.bsky.social @johnlist.bsky.social @dfg.de #EconSky

3 5

Reposted by IZA

Fabio Sabatini @fabiosabatini.bsky.social · Aug 12

🧵 In a recent IZA Discussion Paper, @stepanmikula.bsky.social, @tommasoreggiani.bsky.social, and I study how civic culture can persist—or even emerge—under authoritarian rule.
In the IZA World of Labor commentary linked below, you can also find a short non-technical summary.

#EconSky

1/3

Safeguarding even small civic spaces can be crucial for strengthening democracy in the long run

The Chinese labor market, 2000–2024

1 9 18

IZA @iza.org · Aug 26

China’s labor boom is fading: aging workers, record-low fertility (1.01), and rising gig jobs without protections strain growth. Unlocking rural youth potential + migrant rights will be key.

Check out the latest update to the IZA WoL country articles:
👉 wol.iza.org/articles/the-chinese-labor-market

The world’s second largest economy has boomed, but a rapidly aging labor force presents substantial challenges

When students guess wrong: Fixing misinformation in career planning

4

IZA @iza.org · Jul 29

Students often overestimate job prospects in their dream fields. 🎓

New research shows that a low-cost intervention providing them with accurate data on opportunities and wages 📊 helps them choose study paths with significantly better earnings prospects! 💡➡️

wol.iza.org/opinions/whe...

Exposing students to information about the job opportunities and wages in their preferred occupations makes them choose for fields of study with better labor market prospects

Why remote work should be part of the education debate

1 4

IZA @iza.org · Jul 28

Remote work isn’t just for the office—it can support children’s learning without undercutting parents’ careers. But right now, most of the benefits go to the privileged.

Find out in this new IZA WoL opinion piece why remote work should be part of the education debate: wol.iza.org/opinions/why...

Working from home can support children´s learning without harming parents´ jobs, but currently, this benefit mainly helps the privileged  

2

Reposted by IZA

Edward Elgar Publishing @elgarpublishing.bsky.social · Jul 25

💼 Out now: The Future of Work Environments, Creating Liveable and Productive Working Habitats by Werner Eichhorst of @iza.org

Free content can be found at: doi.org/10.4337/9781...

For more information, visit: www.e-elgar.com/shop/isbn/97...

🎥 youtu.be/cBTIDken83Q?...
#WorkEnvironment

The labor market in Hungary, 2000-2025

IZA @iza.org · Jul 18

🇭🇺 The labor market in Hungary, 2000-2025:

Employment and wages are on a spectacular rise, but growing inequalities, exclusion, and labor market segmentation call for new policy approaches.

Read the latest addition to the IZA WoL country articles, by Bálint Menyhért 👇
wol.iza.org/articles/the...

Employment and wages are on a spectacular rise but growing inequalities, exclusion, and labor market segmentation call for new policy approaches

Believing in clients: A key to successful labor market reintegration

1

IZA @iza.org · Jul 9

“A job center with trained, motivated, and optimistic case workers could be one of the most effective tools for breaking cycles of unemployment and social disadvantage.”

💡 New insights by @albecknielsen.bsky.social‬ & @michaelrosholm.bsky.social‬ in this IZA WoL piece 👇
wol.iza.org/opinions/bel...

Skilled, motivated case workers can be a powerful tool for breaking cycles of unemployment and disadvantage

Robots, restructuring, and union retreat: How automation alters worker organization

3 6

Reposted by IZA

Paolo Agnolin @paoloagnolin.bsky.social · Jun 24

Opinion piece about our research on how automation is shaping the future or workers representation

Piero Stanig @pstanig.bsky.social · Jun 24

wol.iza.org/opinions/rob... with @paoloagnolin.bsky.social, @massimo-anelli.bsky.social and Colantone

Modern employment structures challenge traditional forms of worker organization, risking continued union decline despite ongoing interest in collective action

The merits of teacher assessment versus external exams to measure student achievement

1

IZA @iza.org · Jun 11

How should we best measure student achievement? 📝

New IZA WoL article by @opmc1.bsky.social‬ & G. Wyness tackles the pros & cons of teacher assessment vs. external exams.

Understanding the merits of each can help us build more effective & equitable education systems. 👇

wol.iza.org/articles/the...

Are teachers best placed to assess their students or are external exams more effective?

How workplaces shape the economic impact of caregiving shocks on mothers

2 3

IZA @iza.org · Jun 4

When a child is diagnosed with cancer, mothers' earnings fall sharply—and stay low for years. Supportive, flexible workplaces help cushion the blow.

IZA paper based on Australian data highlights how workplace design shapes the economic toll of caregiving shocks.

newsroom.iza.org/en/archive/r...

What if your child is suddenly diagnosed with cancer?

Job loss is not always a disaster—but for some, it is

4

IZA @iza.org · Jun 3

When layoffs hit, two distinct groups emerge: "adjusters" quickly bounce back, while "casualties" continue to struggle.

These stark differences in earnings paths can occur even among workers identical in age, education, gender, and from the same firm.

Discover more:
wol.iza.org/opinions/job...

Estimates of the economic costs of job displacement invariably show large and systematic average income losses, but this masks the fact that most workers adjust well and outcomes differ sharply eve...

How administrative data fosters young economists’ careers

2 3

IZA @iza.org · Jun 2

‘Based on admin data...’ 📊

Administrative data access for young economists improves research visibility and career progression but may reinforce existing disparities in the academic economics community.

New IZA paper by A Lepinteur & @rnistico.bsky.social‬ 👇
newsroom.iza.org/en/archive/r...

Unlocking potential or reinforcing hierarchies?

Raising the glass raises risks for the whole family

1 5

IZA @iza.org · May 30

Spillover effects of legal drinking ages: 🍻
🇫🇮 Finnish data shows reaching age 18 increases mortality & hospitalizations for young adults (especially men), AND their younger siblings also face higher risks of alcohol-related deaths, accidents, and suicide attempts.

newsroom.iza.org/en/archive/r...

Finnish study reveals significant health consequences of legal drinking ages, with risks spilling over to siblings

Gender-based expectations influence external demands for parental involvement

2

IZA @iza.org · May 28

New IZA paper by @kbuzard7.bsky.social @laurakgee.bsky.social & @olgastoddard.bsky.social: Schools call mothers more than fathers, even when moms aren't more available.

Read more about the study and what this finding means for gender inequality in the labor market 👇
newsroom.iza.org/en/archive/r...

Schools are more likely to call mothers than fathers, regardless of availability

Pandemic slowed German firms’ tech progress

1 4 11

IZA @iza.org · May 26

COVID-19 wasn't a digital accelerator for German firms after all: A new IZA paper reveals it slashed tech adoption by 1.4 years of normal investment activity.

Remote work tools surged, but overall tech progress stalled, posing challenges for future economic growth.
newsroom.iza.org/en/archive/r...

New research uncovers unexpected decline in advanced technology adoption while remote work tools surged

Protection for whom? The political economy of protective labor laws for women

IZA @iza.org · May 20

Male concerns about labor market competition from women played a key role in the rise & fall of "protective" labor laws that often limited women's jobs.

Op-ed based on IZA DP by @mdoepke.bsky.social‬ @hannofoerster.bsky.social‬ @annehannusch.bsky.social‬ & M. Tertilt 👇
wol.iza.org/opinions/pro...

While presented as measures to safeguard women’s health labor laws banning night work or limiting the amount of weight a woman could lift often restricted women’s access to employment...

Waiting for welfare: How processing times affect benefit receipt and employment

7 13

IZA @iza.org · May 13

Financial stress due to welfare application delays can boost job search success:

New IZA DP shows longer application processes reduce benefit take-up but also lower re-employment rates among those who are awarded benefits.

Read this IZA WoL op-ed based on the paper: wol.iza.org/opinions/wai...

Longer welfare application processes reduce benefit take-up but also lower re-employment rates among those who are awarded benefits

Gender quotas on corporate boards of directors

3

IZA @iza.org · May 7

What are the pros and cons of gender quotas on corporate boards of directors? 👩‍💼👨‍💼🏢⚖️

Explore this updated IZA World of Labor Article by Nina Smith and Emma von Essen, including new evidence from ten quota countries. 📊📰🌍

wol.iza.org/articles/gen...

Gender quotas for women on boards of directors improve female share on boards, but firm performance effects are mixed, and spillover effects are positive but small.

Brexit’s hidden cost: Higher patient mortality in NHS hospitals

2 3

IZA @iza.org · May 5

#Brexit hit #NHS hospital quality hard.

New IZA discussion paper shows a significant rise in patient mortality & readmissions after a drop in EU nurses, replaced by less-skilled staff.

Immigration matters for maintaining healthcare standards.

newsroom.iza.org/en/archive/r...

New research reveals how immigration restrictions led to reduced care quality and thousands of additional deaths

How community networks shape elections after a crisis

1 2

IZA @iza.org · Apr 30

How do natural disasters affect elections? 🤔

New IZA DP shows that post-disaster voting depends on social capital: where community networks are weak, governments gain support—but the effect disappears when recovery expectations go unmet. @fabiosabatini.bsky.social
newsroom.iza.org/en/archive/r...

New study explores the effect of social capital on post-disaster voting