Job Market Paper

Under Submission: Journal of Political Economy

The War on Drugs in the Cotton Kingdom

Abstract: This study examines the variation in anti-drug law enforcement targeting Black offenders across counties in the U.S. South. I develop a model of cultural persistence, linking the historically punitive attitudes toward enslaved Black cotton pickers to intensified law enforcement practices following the War on Drugs. Using FBI UCR data, I employ a variety of empirical estimation techniques to identify the causal impact of historical cotton plantations on racial disparities in drug-related arrest rates. The results indicate that counties with more intensive cotton production in 1860 experienced higher arrest rates of Black drug offenders after the campaign, while the arrest rates for white drug offenders remained unaffected. To further validate these findings, I conduct a case study of Arkansas, demonstrating distinct law enforcement patterns between cotton and non-cotton counties in close proximity and show that the same patterns hold.

Paper

Working Papers

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The Natural Disasters and Criminal Activity: Evidence from Ecuador

Abstract: On April 16, 2016, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador, claiming over 600 lives, injuring thousands, and displacing tens of thousands of people in the affected areas. This paper examines the secondary impact of the earthquake on property and violent crimes. Using a difference-in-differences approach and an event study model, I find that the earthquake led to a sharp but temporary rise in property crimes and a slight decline in violent crimes. Furthermore, I suggest that the increase in property crimes is likely driven by the temporal displacement of criminal activity, with crimes being shifted from the future to the present in response to the lowered cost of criminal behavior in the aftermath of a destructive earthquake.

Paper

Unemployment and Crime: Evidence from Alberta

Abstract: This paper investigates the causal relationship between unemployment and crime in Alberta following the 2014 oil price shock. Alberta, a province heavily reliant on the oil and gas sector, experienced a dramatic economic downturn when oil prices dropped by 70 percent. This shock led to a surge in unemployment, doubling the rate from 4.6% to 8.2%. Using micro-level data from various sources, including the Canadian Population Census, Labour Force Survey, and Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, this study examines whether the rise in unemployment, particularly in areas dependent on oil production, resulted in a corresponding increase in crime. By employing a difference-in-differences methodology, this paper identifies the causal impact of unemployment on crime across geographic and demographic groups within Alberta.

Work in Progress

Task Intensity and Gender Inequality: Understanding Labour Market Disparities in Canada

This paper delves into gender differences in the Canadian labour market using a task-based delineation of occupations. Adopting a methodology inspired by Autor and Dorn (2013), we sort occupations in the Canadian Labour Force Survey according to the intensity of abstract, routine, contact, and manual tasks. Preliminary estimates reveal a significant increase of abstract tasks for both males and females over the past 25 years, with females overtaking males in such tasks in recent years. A gender gap in wages exists in all four types of tasks. It is unfavorable to females in abstract and manual tasks; although the gap has been steadily decreasing in abstract tasks, a significant gap still remains. The gender wage gap is positive for females in routine and contact tasks; however, the gap has decreased in recent years in the routine tasks.

The analysis also reveals gender gaps in occupational sorting, particularly in occupations with high intensities of abstract tasks. Working mothers with small children, remain underrepresented in occupations with high intensities of abstract tasks. Additional analysis shows that this occupational sorting differential is strongly associated with differences in working hours. In line with recent research in the US, the requirement for long working hours in abstract task-oriented occupations seems to disproportionately impact women, reflecting both workplace expectations and the asymmetrical division of childcare responsibilities. The differential is stronger for young mothers, implying that family responsibilities are a key factor influencing labor market outcomes. The results add to our knowledge of the structural mechanisms underlying gender inequality in the Canadian labor market and their evolution over time.

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