Steven Durlauf
@durlauf.bsky.social
Professor, Harris School of Public Policy, Director, Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility, University of Chicago
Next Monday (June 29) the two-day conference "Inequality & the Future" will begin, hosted by @dondenacentre.bsky.social at UniBocconi (Milan) and co-organized by @ucstonecenter.bsky.social! Join us to discuss today's societal challenges. For remote attendance scan the QR code in the program below👇
Meritocracy is invoked in variable and often contradictory ways. In a new essay, @durlauf.bsky.social distinguishes between retrospective and prospective conceptions of meritocracy, examining how each can produce different tradeoffs and outcomes. Read about it: bit.ly/3QKN3NU
1/ Delighted that this conversation with Philip Kitcher, an intellectual hero, has posted. The podcast focuses on two recent books.
UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility@ucstonecenter.bsky.social · 2mo agoWhat happens when efficiency becomes the goal of policy? Philosopher Philip Kitcher (@columbiauniversity.bsky.social) argues prioritizing productivity has crowded out ethics, contributing to an "erosion of kindness." Listen to his full conversation with @durlauf.bsky.social here → bit.ly/4a03FI1
Delighted that this paper with Kristina Butaeva @butaevak.bsky.social and Alexander Shapoval is now public.
NBER@nber.org · 2mo agoIntergenerational class mobility in the late Qing era is studied, with changes in dynamics, notably a collapse in upward mobility, revealing the footprints of late imperial crises, from Kristina Butaeva, @durlauf.bsky.social, and Alexander Shapoval www.nber.org/papers/w35313
Honored to give this lecture.
The Janeway Institute, Cambridge@janewayinstitute.bsky.social · 2mo agoDon't miss this important lecture, delivered by @durlauf.bsky.social - Director of the Stone Center for Research on Wealth Inequality and Mobility at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy! @templetonrelig.bsky.social #econsky
With graduation season here, students are focused on their job prospects in the age of AI. @durlauf.bsky.social told @hechingerreport.org that AI's effects continue evolving and remain difficult to distinguish from the many economic disruptions of recent years. Read: bit.ly/4ejXK1L
What it’s like to enter the job market in the middle of an AI revolution
‘It’s not looking good’: The unemployment rate for recent grads is the highest in five years, but AI is not primarily to blame — at least not yet
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Delighted that this wonderful conversation with Michelle Jackson @mivich.bsky.social has now posted. Much of the conversation involves two fascinating books she has written: The Division of Rationalized Labor and Manifesto for A Dream: Inequality, Constraint, and Radical Reform.
UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility@ucstonecenter.bsky.social · 2mo ago@mivich.bsky.social argues that inequality is too large a problem to be solved through incremental changes alone. In her episode of The Inequality Podcast, she applies that same structural lens to the changing nature of work, examining why job responsibilities keep expanding. Listen: bit.ly/4vtapq9
📊 In @thecentersquare.bsky.social, Professor @durlauf.bsky.social of @ucstonecenter.bsky.social says the latest labor numbers point to “stasis” in the job market: unemployment remains steady and jobs are growing, but wage growth is weak and gains are uneven. https://har.rs/4tRfS9b
Labor stats offer mixed bag for Illinois
(The Center Square) – The Trump administration says the United States saw smashing job growth in April, but Illinois' story is a mixed bag.
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The interdisciplinary team of lecturers includes Steven Durlauf @durlauf.bsky.social, Béatrice Cherrier, Ariel Kalil @arielkalil.bsky.social, Zachary Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social, Paola Profeta @paolaprofeta.bsky.social, and me. Details for applying here👇 email.harris.uchicago.edu/-temporary-s...
Join Us in Milan: Applications Open for the Summer School on Socioeconomic Oppertunity & Inequality
email.harris.uchicago.edu
📊 Economist @durlauf.bsky.social of the @ucstonecenter.bsky.social tells @fox32chicago.bsky.social that the latest jobs report beat expectations, but flags warning signs ahead. https://har.rs/4siCtKK
March jobs report shows gains, but economist warns of deeper concerns | ChicagoLIVE
University of Chicago economist Steven Durlauf says the latest jobs numbers are better than expected, but weak wage growth, lower labor force participation and broader uncertainty still point to longer-term economic concerns.
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Proud of your thesis or dissertation? Or know someone who should be? The Stone Center Awards are now accepting nominations from both authors and advisors. Winners receive formal recognition and a cash prize. Deadline to apply: May 8 Nominate today: bit.ly/3Oq1l5u
It’s not just about who you know; it’s the networks you belong to. @marioluissmall.bsky.social is pushing us to expand our focus from individuals to the structures that connect them. Listen to this week's episode of The Inequality Podcast with host @durlauf.bsky.social: bit.ly/3PWzw5d
Our Summer School mentors are @guidoalfani.bsky.social, Béatrice Cherrier, @durlauf.bsky.social, Ariel Kalil, @paolaprofeta.bsky.social, @zparolin.bsky.social, and Antonio Villafranca. Don't miss your chance to learn from the best!
Please join us!
UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility@ucstonecenter.bsky.social · 4mo agoWill you join us in Vancouver? 🇨🇦 This summer, we’re partnering with UBC's @stone-centre-ubc.bsky.social to host the Summer School on Socioeconomic Opportunity and Inequality. Applications are now open – we’re excited to meet you. Learn more: bit.ly/4lWx0ro Apply here: bit.ly/4t8Lff6
Registration is now open for the Inequality Workshop’s spring quarter! We’re hosting four scholars whose research tackles big questions related to families, education, population trends, and immigration. Save your seat today → bit.ly/47pGAx8
Historian Kim Bowes wants us to stop calling ancient Romans "peasants." Talking with @durlauf.bsky.social, she details their use of credit, discretionary consumption, and economic shock planning, revealing a truly sophisticated society. Listen to The Inequality Podcast→ bit.ly/3PWoz3q
Our latest conference, Assessing Meritocracy, brought together scholars from eight countries to examine how meritocratic systems are implemented across contexts. Hosted in partnership with the International Institute of Research in Paris, it sharpened ideas and revealed new research directions.
Panelists: 🏛️ Steven Durlauf (@durlauf.bsky.social) – Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor, @harrispolicy.bsky.social 🏅Joel Moykr – Robert H. Strotz Professor, Northwestern University, 2025 Nobel Laureate 🏅James Robinson – Professor, University of Chicago, 2024 Nobel Laureate
Sam Bowles has spent decades reshaping how economics is taught. In a new feature, Stone Center Director @durlauf.bsky.social highlights five resources that reflect Bowles’s lasting contributions to pedagogy. Among them is the widely acclaimed @coreecon.bsky.social. Read it now→ bit.ly/4st33ly
Samuel Bowles' Revolutionary Contributions to Economic Education - Stone Center
Samuel Bowles’ six-decade career has fundamentally reshaped how economists think about institutions, behavior, and inequality. In Fall 2025. Bowles joined the Stone Center for the inaugural Stone Lect...
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How much of your life is shaped by the groups you belong to? @durlauf.bsky.social argues that this question is central to understanding inequality. He thinks the biggest policy wins may come from targeting the "bottlenecks" where group selection occurs. Listen to Durlauf on The Pie → bit.ly/4sTrLva
Joseph Stiglitz has a gift for turning classic market arguments on their head. In conversation with @durlauf.bsky.social, he frames the economy as a balancing act, with forces pulling and pushing it towards equilibrium. This tension, shaped by politics, drives inequality. Listen now → bit.ly/4bbnKe0
Coming up this Wednesday! @durlauf.bsky.social of @ucstonecenter.bsky.social will discuss intergenerational mobility in China for two distinct epochs: the last 120 years of the Qing Dynasty and the last 30 years for modern China. Register here ⬇️ events.ticketleap.com/tickets/iiil...
Status mobility in China: past and present
Status mobility in China: past and present LSE Centre Building 2.06 and on Zoom Speaker:Professor Steven Durlauf, Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor and Director of the Stone Center for R...
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Join us for a special seminar by @durlauf.bsky.social of @ucstonecenter.bsky.social He will describe intergenerational mobility in China for two epochs: the last 120 years of the Qing Dynasty and the last 30 years for modern China. Attend in-person: buff.ly/XSqKGsp Attend online: buff.ly/9WnHeg7
An extremely valuable synthesis of evidence on the effects of Head Start by @chloergibbs.bsky.social. Recommended!
NBER@nber.org · 6mo agoSeveral decades of Head Start early childhood care and education research provide insight into variation in program effectiveness, over time, across communities, and by child and family characteristics, from @chloergibbs.bsky.social www.nber.org/papers/w34812
1/ Tommaso Giommoni, Gabriel Loumeau, and Marco Tabellini have written a fascinating paper on the forces influencing the dynamics of the French Revolution, ranging from The Great Fear to the decision to execute Louis XVI.
NBER@nber.org · 6mo agoSpatially unequal taxation fueled the French Revolution, amplifying popular revolts and pushing legislators in high-tax areas to oppose the ancien régime, from Tommaso Giommoni, Gabriel Loumeau, and Marco Tabellini www.nber.org/papers/w34816
1/ Delighted that this paper with my coauthors extraordinaire, @gtwodtke.bsky.social, Weiqi Wang, and Kristina Butaeva has been released. I want to highlight two of my coauthors. (Geoff Wodtke is a star sociologist and needs no introduction!)
NBER@nber.org · 6mo agoNew Markov chain methods reveal how, for the US, the last half century is associated with decreased mobility for the upper and lower classes, and greater mobility for the middle, from Geoffrey Wodtke, Weiqi Wang, Kristina Butaeva, and @durlauf.bsky.social www.nber.org/papers/w34800
I am delighted that this great conversation with Ran Abramitzky and Leah Boustan has posted. Their extraordinary work on intergenerational mobility and immigrants speaks to essential dimensions of the extent of equality of opportunity and of the process of assimilation.
UChicago | Stone Center on Wealth Inequality & Mobility@ucstonecenter.bsky.social · 6mo agoRan Abramitzky and Leah Boustan are using economic history to understand immigration. On The Inequality Podcast, they examine patterns of upward mobility and preview new research on the tone of modern political speeches. Listen to their conversation with @durlauf.bsky.social → bit.ly/4txjJsL
Ran Abramitzky and Leah Boustan are using economic history to understand immigration. On The Inequality Podcast, they examine patterns of upward mobility and preview new research on the tone of modern political speeches. Listen to their conversation with @durlauf.bsky.social → bit.ly/4txjJsL
1/Universities need to systematically address the findings in the Epstein files. In my opinion, every university in which current or past faculty, administrators, trustees appear in the files, should establish formal bodies to review and assess. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/u...
A $50,000 Watch and Friendly Notes: One College Leader’s Ties to Epstein
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