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News, ideas, and analysis from J-PAL staff and affiliated professors. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive monthly email updates.

Workers at a factory in Birigui, São Paulo, Brazil

Tackling Brazil's labor market challenges with evidence: JOI Brazil's research agenda

Brazil's labor market faces multiple challenges, including gender and racial disparities, an aging population where many lack access to savings or a pension, and adaptation to new labor regulations and digital transformation. The Covid-19 crisis exacerbated challenges as unemployment rates in the...
A group sits at tables while two people stand facing a white board.

Facilitating access to administrative data in education: a fruitful partnership between IDEE and the French Ministry of Education

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To promote experimental research in education, IDEE collaborates with the French Ministry of National Education and Youth to develop new IT tools and resources, specifically an accessible online catalog of administrative data in education.
Four students collaborating around a computer

Empowering change-makers: The DEDP MicroMasters program expands to include a new Public Policy Track and course

The journey of the DEDP MicroMasters program has been marked by growth, reflection, and celebration. We are delighted to announce another milestone for the program: the launch of a new Public Policy Track to complement our existing curriculum. Accompanying this new Public Policy Track is a change in...
A woman speaks to two other women.

Understanding the hidden factors influencing child marriage: Lessons from an impact evaluation

In an effort to reduce child marriage, the Indonesian government has implemented various programs utilizing video-based information campaigns to drive behavioral change. Despite the widespread use of video campaigns, there is not rigorous evidence on their effectiveness. In this post, the J-PAL...
A woman sits with two children on either side of her.

Improving mental health in low- and middle-income settings: Key findings from rigorous research

Mental health conditions are prevalent worldwide, especially among people living in poverty. In 2017, an estimated 10.7 percent of the global population had at least one mental health disorder. Meanwhile, access to services remains low even for those who seek care. Evidence on how to close this...
Rows of people in a classroom with laptops.

Setting up international research collaborations for success

International research collaborations—those composed of principal investigator (PI) teams based in different countries—are increasingly common and have the potential to strengthen the capacity of research teams and the quality of research projects. As with any research collaboration, successful...
Photo of meeting with people facing projection of agenda

At Yale, scholars and policymakers unite to improve state Medicaid program

By
  • Mike Cummings
On a recent morning, administrators of Connecticut’s Medicaid program visited Yale’s Tobin Center for Economic Policy for a brainstorming session. The meeting marked the beginning of a unique partnership between the State of Connecticut, the Tobin Center, and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action...
High school students in classroom; one with hand raised

Researching racial equity: Stratification economics

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In J-PAL North America’s researching racial equity blog series, we discuss how research plays a critical role in identifying structural inequities in systems and policies that disproportionately affect communities of color. In part three, Dania Francis (UMass Boston), a researcher in the J-PAL...