Research News 2025

New ERC Grants

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 23:00:00 GMT

The European Research Council (ERC) has selected 349 researchers to receive this year's Consolidator Grants. Among this year’s recipients are Lorenzo Casaburi, UBS Foundation Associate Professor of Development Economics, and Maya Eden, Professor of Economics and Affiliated Professor at the UBS Center.

Raising the Bar: How Legal Drinking Age Laws Affect Teenagers' Well-Being

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 23:00:00 GMT

A new study shows that raising the minimum legal drinking age from 16 to 18 years significantly improves teenagers' academic performance and mental health.

New SNSF Grants

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 22:00:00 GMT

Researchers from our department were recently awarded research funding from the National Science Foundation (SNSF). Congratulations, to them!

"Weightless economy": Sustaining growth while lowering environmental impact

Sat, 27 Sep 2025 22:00:00 GMT

Timo Boppart, Professor of Economics, contributes to the degrowth debate through a new growth theory.

Long-Term Unemployment: Not Just Bad Luck

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 22:00:00 GMT

Why do some people remain stuck in long-term unemployment while others quickly achieve re-employment? A new study sheds light on the predictability and hidden patterns of long-term unemployment.

Social Preferences and Redistributive Politics

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 22:00:00 GMT

Tax the wealthiest or rather subsidize the underprivileged? How can economics help explain these differing personal views on taxation and redistribution? A recent study explores this central question.

New SNSF Grants

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Researchers from our department were recently awarded funding from the National Science Foundation.

What your professional skills on LinkedIn reveal about human capital and inequality

Sun, 18 May 2025 22:00:00 GMT

A new paper by David Dorn shows that LinkedIn skills reveal more about earnings and gender gaps than education or experience.

How Your Best Friend’s Personality Can Shape Your Own

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 22:00:00 GMT

In the first study of its kind, Ulf Zölitz shows how university students' personalities are shaped by their peers, with a lasting impact on their personal development.

Smarter Policy for effective Green Innovation

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 22:00:00 GMT

In a recent paper, Armin Schmutzler, examines the indirect effects of innovation, exploring the market’s influence on greenhouse gas emissions.

Whose Preferences Matter for Redistribution: Surprising Global Insights

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 23:00:00 GMT

According to classical economic theory, government policies reflect the preferences of the median voter. However, alternative theories suggest that the preferences of the economic elite have greater impact on policy outcomes. A groundbreaking new study challenges both assumptions.

Wealth Inequality in Switzerland: Is Tax Policy to Blame?

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 23:00:00 GMT

In a recently published paper, Florian Scheuer examines the tax framework that may have played a role in the growing wealth disparity.

Working Memory Training on Children: A Crucial Boost in Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 23:00:00 GMT

A recent study suggests that strengthening young children's working memory (WM), could have long-term benefits for their academic success.

Social Apprehension: The Brain Is to Blame

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:00:00 GMT

Hoping for approval and fearing rejection are common emotions, but some people experience them more intensely than others. Why is that?

Places versus People: The Ins and Outs of Labor Market Adjustment to Globalization

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 23:00:00 GMT

In a recently published paper, David Dorn examines how US labor markets and workers adjusted to increased Chinese import competition in the 2000s.

The Wage-Innovation Link: New Empirical Evidence

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 23:00:00 GMT

David Hémous and co-authors recently published a study, providing fresh empirical evidence on the relationship between wages and innovation.

Immigrant Mobility and Regional Labor Market Adjustment in the US

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 23:00:00 GMT

In a recent study, David Dorn and co-authors explore why the rapid growth of goods imports from China in the 2000s caused substantial manufacturing job losses in US regions that were specialized in import-competing industries.