Matthias Doepke
@mdoepke.bsky.social
4.2K followers 640 following 62 posts
Family economics and macroeconomics at the London School of Economics. Coauthor of "Love, Money, and Parenting" http://bit.ly/lovemoneyparenting
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mdoepke.bsky.social
30 years after arriving in the US, I just resigned from Northwestern and we sold our house.

We are an American family, I became a citizen in 2014, and until recently did not expect to ever leave. But now, this no longer feels like the right place to raise a family and pursue a research career.
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
georgweizsaecker.bsky.social
„The decline was most pronounced among first-year graduate students. Illinois Urbana-Champaign has seen a 22% drop and Buffalo, 58%.“

Informative article 👇🏼 about 🇺🇸 int‘l students.

🇪🇺 has much freer speech now - so, welcome - it but should be said that silly admission restrictions exist here, too.
japantimes.co.jp
In the latest move by U.S. colleges to cope with the disruptive policies of President Donald Trump, DePaul University told faculty it will reduce spending following a 30% decline in international enrollment this fall.
Fewer foreign students and fewer dollars make U.S. colleges feel the pinch
Dozens of schools in the U.S. have announced budget cuts in response to Trump administration policies that are upending higher education.
ebx.sh
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
samben8.bsky.social
I am really grateful to Cemfi for organizing this workshop and in particular to all the organizers, participants, and attendants. It was a high quality scientific event, full of warmth and fun. It was wonderful to get together with so many good friends
cemfi.es
The workshop "Labor Markets, Institutions, and Economic Policy: A Workshop in Honor of Samuel Bentolila" took place on Monday, September 29th, at CEMFI
www.cemfi.es/all_news_blo...
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
bengolub.bsky.social
I've been working on a new tool, Refine, to make scholars more productive. If you're interested in being among the very first to try the beta, please read on.

Refine leverages the best current AI models to draw your attention to potential errors and clarity issues in research paper drafts.

1/
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
ucstonecenter.bsky.social
Alexander Monge-Naranjo has been researching the role of credit constraints in shaping educational attainment. He sits down with @durlauf.bsky.social to discuss how credit access matters for recent cohorts, whereas family resources were more determinative for earlier groups.
Listen → bit.ly/4nOXPxK
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
robertsaunders.bsky.social
I think the key problem here is a continuing assumption, in traditional media, that when the White House speaks on a major topic, this is a big news story.

That model can't cope with a president with no regard for truth, who's in constant broadcast mode, & who veers around from one day to another.
robertsaunders.bsky.social
Why are the American president's claims about autism the first item on British news bulletins?

He's not our president, the advice doesn't apply here and he's not presented any evidence to support his assertions.

So why spread these claims? What make this the biggest story in the UK?
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
corinnelow.com
My book, a labor of love, with 15 years of my own research and the stories of countless women, is out today!! I document why women's time has gotten so squeezed, and then provide actionable, evidence-based strategies on what we can do about it! So many people on here did the research in the book! 🙏
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
mclem.org
The astronomical new Skill Penalty on US work visas will hobble a core driver of productivity growth in the US economy.

“H-1B visas cause innovation, they cause entrepreneurship, they cause more R&D investment,” I told the @wsj.com

Very nice and balanced piece by @jdlahart.bsky.social —>
Will the $100,000 Visa Fee Help U.S. Workers? Economists Aren’t So Sure
Changes to the H-1B system could benefit some U.S. workers. But economists say losing foreign talent could weaken the overall job market—and shift production overseas.
www.wsj.com
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
fabolange.bsky.social
If the UK does not take this good advice, maybe Canada will? Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver are great places for tech hubs - lets compete for them by enabling skilled migration and students.
mdoepke.bsky.social
The 100K H-1B fee is the biggest opportunity for the UK yet to revive economic growth and business dynamism.

Now let’s drop those visa fees and NHS surcharges right away to send a clear signal and reap the benefits!
mdoepke.bsky.social
The 100K H-1B fee is the biggest opportunity for the UK yet to revive economic growth and business dynamism.

Now let’s drop those visa fees and NHS surcharges right away to send a clear signal and reap the benefits!
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
chrismurphyct.bsky.social
This is a massive, history making abuse of your power. It will define your legacy and one day you will come to regret punishing free speech and trying to destroy democracy.
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
lonessmith.bsky.social
"The countries where comedians can't mock the leader on late night TV are not really ones you want to live in." - Chris Hayes
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
romainwacziarg.bsky.social
The August 2025 issue of the Journal of the European Economic Association is now published (academic.oup.com/jeea/issue/2...). It consists of 10 fantastic papers from a wide range of fields of economics. @jeeanews.bsky.social
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
propublica.org
On the left: Nate Cavanagh, a 28-year-old DOGE staffer and college dropout.

On the right: Mohammad Halimi, a 53-year-old exiled Afghan scholar.

This is the story of how DOGE targeted Halimi on social media.

Then the Taliban took his family. 🧵
Photo of DOGE staffer Nate Cavanagh, a 28-year-old white man in a blue pullover, carrying a black backpack. Photo of 53-year-old Afghan scholar Mohammad Halimi. He is sitting, wearing white pants and shirt with a brown vest.
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
volts.wtf
One of the best features of European cities: parks & public spaces with coffee and basic concessions available inside them. It is *insane* that the US makes this illegal.
warrenjwells.bsky.social
American park concession policy drives me insane.

Here I am with my kid at the biggest park in Berkeley. There are hundreds of people here at birthday parties, playing tennis/basketball/frisbee, and running the dogs.

And yet the closest place to buy a *coffee* is a half mile walk.
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
arindube.bsky.social
Regardless of politics, economists should make clear: we do not condone reckless attacks on our statistical agencies, including by our fellow economists.

The staff at these agencies work painstakingly to collect the data our democracy and economy depend on.
atrupar.com
Kevin Hassett suggests the Bureau of Labor Statistics rigged the 2012 election for Barack Obama
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
mclem.org
“I don’t think I’ve seen a more dangerous decision in public health in my 50 years in the business,” said Mike Osterholm, an Univ. of Minnesota expert on infectious disease

mRNA vaccines “certainly saved millions of lives,” said Dr. Paul Offit—a vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
RFK Jr. pulls $500 million in funding for vaccine development
The Department of Health and Human Services plans to cancel contracts and pull funding for some vaccines being developed to fight respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and the flu.
apnews.com
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
georgweizsaecker.bsky.social
Germany will be an attractive alternative host country, and will benefit from it -- after a few institutional changes.

Curious to see what Länder and what universities will be the first to report increases in non-EU enrolements.
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
fabolange.bsky.social
Very thoughtful thread. My short summary: for now we can continue trust the numbers from BLS. This because agency employees have the integrity to let the public know about potential interference. We might not be able to protect the process, but we will know when it is compromised.
aaronsojourner.org
Cue ideologues & disinformers.
calculatedrisk.bsky.social
Goldman: “The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will publish a preliminary estimate of the benchmark revision to March 2025 nonfarm payrolls on September 9th. We estimate a downward revision on the order of 550-950k”
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
mclem.org
Those direct, short term costs are just the beginning of much more massive and long term damage.
w7voa.journa.host.ap.brid.gy
The US could see a 30-40% decline in new international student enrollment, resulting in nearly $7 billion in lost revenue and more than 60,000 fewer American jobs. https://www.nafsa.org/fall-2025-international-student-enrollment-outlook-and-economic-impact
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
dynarski.bsky.social
Statement from the largest economics association about the BLS firing

As context: AEA approximately never makes such public statements

This is a big deal
August 1, 2025
AMERICAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION
Committee on Economic Statistics and Committee on Government Relations


Statement from the American Economic Association on the
Dismissal of the BLS Commissioner

Leaders of the American Economic Association express their grave concern over the dismissal of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) earlier today.
The independence of the federal statistical agencies is essential to the proper functioning of a modern economy. Accurate, timely, and impartial statistics are the foundation upon which households, businesses, and policymakers make critical decisions. Undermining the independence or credibility of these agencies threatens the integrity of the information that markets, institutions, and the public rely on every day.
Measuring the vast and dynamic U.S. economy in real time is inherently challenging. It is standard practice for statistical estimates to be revised as more complete and higher-quality data become available. These revisions reflect the commitment of statistical agencies to accuracy, transparency, and methodological rigor-not failure or bias.
The BLS has long had a well-deserved reputation for professional excellence and nonpartisan integrity.
Safeguarding this tradition is vital for the continued health of the U.S. economy and public trust in our institutions.
We call upon elected officials to respect and preserve the independence of the nation's statistical infrastructure.

Lawrence Katz
President, American Economic Association
Katharine Abraham
President-Elect, American Economic Association
Karen Dynan
Chair, American Economic Association Committee on Economic Statistics
Kenneth Troske
Chair, American Economic Association Committee on Government Relations
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
schularick.bsky.social
Statt die regelbasierte Welthandelsordnung zu verteidigen, schlägt die EU in einen Deal ein, von dem unsicher ist, wie lange er hält, der von den Launen eines Populisten und nicht vom Recht regiert wird und der mit den Regeln der Welthandelsorganisation kaum vereinbar ist. 2/2
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
claudiapersico.bsky.social
“The Trump administration is firing hardworking scientists while employing political appointees whose job it is to lie incessantly to Congress and to the American people,” she said. “The obliteration of ORD will have generational impacts on Americans’ health and safety.”
Trump’s EPA eliminates research and development office and begins layoffs
Administration’s move to cut thousands of agency jobs will be devastating for US public health, union warns
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by Matthias Doepke
georgweizsaecker.bsky.social
In the US and elsewhere: research inside gov‘t agencies is a perfect complement for outside research, and it thus serves the taxpayer well.

Gift article: www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/c...
E.P.A. Says It Will Eliminate Its Scientific Research Arm
www.nytimes.com