Luczywek, Beata (2024) Essays on policy evaluations: Insights from public and labor economics. PhD thesis, University of California, San Diego, USA.
Abstract
This dissertation consists of three chapters that study questions on take-up and impacts of programs that increase the welfare of vulnerable populations. In chapter 1, we estimate income effects on earnings using the 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC). Children born in January 2016 were eligible for a credit of $3,600, while children born in December 2015 were eligible for $3,000. We use tax data and a regression discontinuity design to estimate the earnings response to this temporary, one-year $600 increase in non-labor income. We find that employment decreased by 2.0% in 2021 and 1.1% in 2022 in low-income families, with no effect on families with higher incomes. This decrease in wage employment was offset by an increase in self-employment reported on tax returns, but this result is not robust in all specifications.In chapter 2, we experimentally test whether information frictions and costs of filing taxes explain low take-up of the expanded CTC. We designed an information and counseling intervention contacting parents through school districts, coupled with assistance from local VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) programs. According to tax records, treatment increased tax filing by 2 percentage points, increased CTC claims by (a statistically insignificant) 2 percentage points, and tripled filing through VITA. Effects were concentrated among previous non-filers and Spanish speakers, demonstrating the value of targeted outreach.In chapter 3, we provide the first causal evidence on reducing forced labor risk. 18 million people are victims of labor exploitation globally every year. In the Indian construction sector, the most common indicators include excessive hours, working on rest days, and unpaid wages. Micro-contractors (MCs), who directly control working conditions, often face financial challenges, primarily due to limited access to working capital. This paper tests if easing MC's liquidity constraints can reduce forced labor and improve working conditions. 250 MCs in Bengaluru and Delhi were randomly offered low-cost loans. Overall, working conditions did not improve 6-9 months after loans were disbursed, but we find significant variability: workers of more educated and non-migrant MCs experienced improvements in their working conditions, including timely payments and shorter working hours.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Bharadwaj, Prashant |
| Index terms: | liquidity, exploitation, children, employment, income, school district, variability, dissertation, working conditions, estimate, specification, wages, face, volunteer, policy evaluation, evidence, self-employment, population, program, labour economic, working hours, construction sector |
| Subjects: | industry analysis, statistical analysis, contractual condition, employment law, management, software systems, educational management, financial and cost management, business economics, demography, labour economics, economic analysis, psychology, practitioner, research dissemination and communication, evaluation and assessment methods, policy studies |
| Topics: | Human Resources, Digital Applications, Urban Studies, Contract Administration, Organizational Design, Research Practice, Cost Management, Business Strategy, Governance, Roles and Professions, Legal Issues, Education |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here