Micah Y Baum
@micahybaum.bsky.social
public policy + economics phd, michigan. education/economic inequality. also dogs.
Updated draft: In June 2022, the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision overturned Roe v. Wade, sending abortion regulation back to states. Within months, bans were enforced in some states while others expanded protections. I study how these bans affected the practice locations of OBGYNs. 🧵
![Screenshot of front matter.
The Impact of Abortion Bans on the Physician Labor Market: Compositional and Pipeline Effects*
Ethan Bergmann†
August 28, 2026
[Most recent version here]
Abstract
I study the physician labor market after Dobbs, which allowed states to enforce abortion bans. I link quarterly obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN) locations to political contributions and use synthetic difference-in-differences to compare provider supply and migration between total-ban and abortion-protecting states. I find no aggregate supply decline. However, this stability masks compositional changes: relative per-capita supply falls for female, early-career, top-ranked, and Democratic-donating providers, while male and unranked supply increases. These shifts are more consistent with workforce entry and exit than migration by existing providers. Together, Dobbs polarized the U.S. OBGYN workforce, with implications for reproductive-care access and future supply.
JEL Codes: I11, I18, J44, J61
Keywords: abortion policy, physician labor markets, political sorting](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:te2ri7usmycg2c4vkpfonizq/bafkreie3mpcerlg45nopdxtqrynbtfpsdnqwecarlrwi6pm5f3y5s6a73i)
📢 #EdWorkingPapers: @micahybaum.bsky.social, @jendara.bsky.social, & @annaliesep.bsky.social find that despite fears of political indoctrination, Democratic college professors have no causal effect on their students' partisan identity. 📄 edworkingpapers.com/ai26-1538
Many myths debunked in this paper. Paper finds that: -faculty partisanship has no effect on students -students ideologically sort into majors; majors don’t affect partisanship -faculty partisanship is uncorrelated with how left/rightwing course content is micah-baum.github.io/files/baum-e...
excited to share our new working paper! thanks @annaliesep.bsky.social for the incredible thread describing our work
Annaliese Paulson@annaliesep.bsky.social · last mo.New Working Paper with Micah Baum and Joaquin Endara: Students tend to become more liberal during college. We study whether individual faculty make their students more liberal. We find no evidence that faculty affect student partisanship. Working Paper: edworkingpapers.com/ai26-1538 1/
👋 I'm Danielle, and I'm on the #econjobmarket this year! Let's start with a student describing her segregated school: "The school felt temporary. Built like a warehouse with aluminum siding . . . I had a slipshod education" The twist? The student is white, and her school is private. A JMP 🧵 -->
Come check out our panel this Friday!! Very excited to share some new work at #APPAM2025
Riley Acton@riacton.bsky.social · 10mo agoIn particular, I’m super excited for this panel on Friday afternoon, organized by grad student @micahybaum.bsky.social, on political polarization & higher ed. Come watch me, Micah, @mememedianmode.bsky.social, & Mayan Kolerman share our latest work on this pressing topic!
