Information and Labor Markets in the Philippines.

This dissertation explores barriers to job-search and labor migration in the Philippines. In my first chapter, I test the impact of factual information and experience attending a job fair on individuals' job-search processes and labor-market outcomes through a field experiment I conduct in the rural Philippines. Assignment to a voucher to encourage job-fair attendance more than doubles the likelihood of looking for work in Manila in the two months following the fair and increases formal sector employment ten months after the fair by 38 percent. Direct provision of information about average wages or minimum qualifications for overseas work does not affect individuals' decisions to look for work overseas, though it does affect their beliefs in predictable ways. These results indicate that a relatively modest increase in labor-market exposure, such as that obtained from attending a job fair, can have lasting effects on individuals' job-search effort and employment outcomes. The second chapter uses this same field experiment to explore how individuals self-select into job search for overseas work. I examine the impact of a randomized one-time incentive to initiate job search on this selection. Subsidizing job-fair attendance reduces otherwise positive selection among those who attend the job-fair without the subsidy. While many attendees then self-select out of participating, voucher assignment increases the attendance rates for those with a high degree of uncertainty about their own labor market prospects, indicating that imperfect information about the returns to participation affects individuals' search decisions. My third chapter, joint with David McKenzie and Dean Yang, presents results from a field experiment to test the impact of reducing informational and bureaucratic barriers on individuals' ability to migrate overseas. We find that removal of these barriers leads individuals to take steps towards international migration, with passport assistance even leading to a higher rate of job interviews and job offers abroad. None of our treatments generate a significant increase in the likelihood of migrating abroad. We explore different explanations and conclude that there are multiple barriers on both the demand and supply sides of the international labor market.PHDPublic Policy & EconomicsUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/99855/1/ebeam_1.pd

Trajectories of Big Five Personality Traits: A Coordinated Analysis of 16 Longitudinal Samples

This study assessed change in self‐reported Big Five personality traits. We conducted a coordinated integrative data analysis using data from 16 longitudinal samples, comprising a total sample of over 60 000 participants. We coordinated models across multiple datasets and fit identical multi‐level growth models to assess and compare the extent of trait change over time. Quadratic change was assessed in a subset of samples with four or more measurement occasions. Across studies, the linear trajectory models revealed declines in conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness. Non‐linear models suggested late‐life increases in neuroticism. Meta‐analytic summaries indicated that the fixed effects of personality change are somewhat heterogeneous and that the variability in trait change is partially explained by sample age, country of origin, and personality measurement method. We also found mixed evidence for predictors of change, specifically for sex and baseline age. This study demonstrates the importance of coordinated conceptual replications for accelerating the accumulation of robust and reliable findings in the lifespan developmental psychological sciences. © 2020 European Association of Personality PsychologyPeer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156004/1/per2259.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156004/2/per2259-sup-0001-Data_S1.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156004/3/per2259-sup-0002-Open_Practices_Disclosure_Form.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156004/4/per2259_am.pd

Replication Data for: Superstition, Fertility, and Inter-ethnic Spillovers: Evidence from Peninsular Malaysia

Replication files for "Superstition, Fertility, and Inter-ethnic Spillovers: Evidence from Peninsular Malaysia," by Emily A. Beam and Slesh A. Shresth

Who was at risk for COVID-19 late in the US pandemic? Insights from a population health machine learning model.

Notable discrepancies in vulnerability to COVID-19 infection have been identified between specific population groups and regions in the USA. The purpose of this study was to estimate the likelihood of COVID-19 infection using a machine-learning algorithm that can be updated continuously based on health care data. Patient records were extracted for all COVID-19 nasal swab PCR tests performed within the Providence St. Joseph Health system from February to October of 2020. A total of 316,599 participants were included in this study, and approximately 7.7% (n = 24,358) tested positive for COVID-19. A gradient boosting model, LightGBM (LGBM), predicted risk of initial infection with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.819. Factors that predicted infection were cough, fever, being a member of the Hispanic or Latino community, being Spanish speaking, having a history of diabetes or dementia, and living in a neighborhood with housing insecurity. A model trained on sociodemographic, environmental, and medical history data performed well in predicting risk of a positive COVID-19 test. This model could be used to tailor education, public health policy, and resources for communities that are at the greatest risk of infection

Potentially missed detection with screening mammography: does the quality of radiologist's interpretation vary by patient socioeconomic advantage/disadvantage?

PURPOSE: We examined whether quality of mammography interpretation as performed by the original reading radiologist varied by patient sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS: For 149 patients residing in Chicago and diagnosed in 2005-2008, we obtained the original index mammogram that detected the breast cancer and at least one prior mammogram that did not detect the cancer performed within 2 years of the index mammogram. A single breast imaging specialist performed a blinded review of the prior mammogram. Potentially missed detection was defined as an actionable lesion seen during a blinded review of the prior mammogram that was in the same quadrant as the cancer on the index mammogram. RESULTS: Of 149 prior mammograms originally read as non-malignant, 46% (N=68) had a potentially detectable lesion. In unadjusted analyses, potentially missed detection was greater among minority patients (54% vs. 39%, p=0.07), for patients with incomes below $30,000 (65% vs. 36%, p<0.01), with less education (58% vs. 39%, p=0.02), and lacking private health insurance (63% vs. 40%, p=0.02). Likelihood ratio tests for the inclusion of socioeconomic variables in multivariable logistic regression models were highly significant (p<=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Disadvantaged socioeconomic status appears to be associated with potentially missed detection of breast cancer at mammography screening