Society of Labor Economists

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Society of Labor Economists News and opinions of interest to labor economists. During the next decade, the Journal became the top academic publication in its field.

In 1983, Edward Lazear launched the Journal of Labor Economics with the support of NORC at the University of Chicago and the University of Chicago Press. In 1996 Lazear conceived the idea of a Society of Labor Economists to promote the study of labor economics and enhance the contribution of labor economics and labor economists to the field. Lazear drafted the Bylaws and submitted them to the readership of the JOLE. They were ratified by a vote of 367-3 in October 1995. Lazear immediately enlisted the cooperation of some of the top names in the field to join him on the Executive Board of the Society and stand for election as officers. The list of SOLE past presidents below is a Who’s Who of the labor economics profession. Membership in the Society is open to all subscribers to the Journal. The main function of the Society is to hold an annual meeting to promote and disseminate research. Submission of presentations at this meeting is open to all labor economists anywhere in the world, with the goal of attracting the broadest possible participation regardless of institutional affiliation or seniority. Lazear also invited the Managing Editor of the Journal, Maggie Newman, to serve as the administrator of the Society and run its annual meetings, which she has done since the first meeting, held May 3-4 1996 in Chicago. 150 distinguished labor economists attended that event; during the next 15 years that number has grown significantly and the meetings now average 400 participants annually. Maggie also maintains the Society’s website and handles its legal and financial affairs -- the Society was granted 501(c)(6) status by the IRS in 2004. Beginning in 2000, SOLE affiliated with the European Association of Labor Economics (EALE) and every five years the two hold a joint meeting, alternating the hosting responsibilities. These joint meetings attract over 500 participants and feature 400 academic presentations. In 2004, the Society expanded its role to include the establishment of Fellows and the presentation of annual awards to distinguished researchers in labor economics.

U.S. economists win Nobel for work on managing economic shocks https://buff.ly/ELfF4WE
10/13/2026

U.S. economists win Nobel for work on managing economic shocks https://buff.ly/ELfF4WE

Their work helped shape how central banks set interest rates and communicate policy.

Will a falling unemployment rate keep U.S. inflation above target?
10/02/2026

Will a falling unemployment rate keep U.S. inflation above target?

Investing.com -- Over the past year, the U.S. labour force has contracted as unauthorised immigrants departed and the labour force participation rate declined. A recent note from BCA Research considers whether a falling unemployment rate will keep U.S. inflation above target.

The fear that AI will bring mass unemployment is built on a flawed method: studies that predict job losses typically bre...
10/01/2026

The fear that AI will bring mass unemployment is built on a flawed method: studies that predict job losses typically break existing occupations into tasks and count how many AI could perform, ignoring that workers reallocate their time to the tasks that remain, that jobs are bundles which resist neat unbundling, and that productivity gains let firms expand and hire rather than simply cut headcount. https://buff.ly/NIBpHQS

The fear that AI will bring mass unemployment is, according to Philippe Aghion (Collège de France, LSE), Antonin Bergeaud (HEC Paris), Simon Bunel (ENS) and Alexandra Roulet (INSEAD), built on a flawed method: studies that predict job losses typically break existing occupations into tasks and count...

1 month left! Submit your work to present at SOLE 2027 in Baltimore, April 30-May 1: https://buff.ly/Xd7rFGT
09/30/2026

1 month left! Submit your work to present at SOLE 2027 in Baltimore, April 30-May 1: https://buff.ly/Xd7rFGT

Barclays sees lasting labor-market pressures as immigration slows, population ages https://buff.ly/ME2NK0F
09/29/2026

Barclays sees lasting labor-market pressures as immigration slows, population ages https://buff.ly/ME2NK0F

Barclays sees lasting labor-market pressures as immigration slows, population ages

On hot days, workers are much more likely to get hurt on the job. Trains are more likely to be delayed, flight cancellat...
09/25/2026

On hot days, workers are much more likely to get hurt on the job. Trains are more likely to be delayed, flight cancellations and postponements increase, and labor productivity falls. These are just some of the ways, says environmental and labor economist R. Jisung Park, that environmental factors like climate change impact economic opportunity. https://buff.ly/TW46LnF Knowledge at Wharton

Professor R. Jisung Park discusses climate change and the impact of extreme heat on academic success and worker productivity.

President Trump Issues Executive Order Directing Heightened Enforcement for H-1Bs, Also Extends H-1B $100,000 Fee https:...
09/24/2026

President Trump Issues Executive Order Directing Heightened Enforcement for H-1Bs, Also Extends H-1B $100,000 Fee https://buff.ly/A2y8dQH

President Trump’s Executive Order increases H-1B enforcement scrutiny, targeting layoffs, compliance, LCAs, and employer practices without changing eligibility.

Job growth beat expectations in August, but wage growth has lagged the latest inflation readings, adding urgency to a qu...
09/18/2026

Job growth beat expectations in August, but wage growth has lagged the latest inflation readings, adding urgency to a question economists are only beginning to wrestle with: Could AI pressure workers’ pay before it costs them their jobs? https://buff.ly/4CqvcYw

Wage growth for workers has slowed and is struggling to keep up with inflation, drawing attention to AI's potential role even as evidence remains incomplete.

Estimates of the cost of Russia’s war on Ukraine are dominated by what the war destroys. This column measures a second c...
09/16/2026

Estimates of the cost of Russia’s war on Ukraine are dominated by what the war destroys. This column measures a second cost: the labour and capital that survive but end up stuck in low-value uses. https://buff.ly/238Htz1

Estimates of the cost of Russia’s war on Ukraine are dominated by what the war destroys. This column measures a second cost: the labour and capital that survive but end up stuck in low-value uses. Firm-level financial statements filed throughout the full-scale invasion show allocative productivity...

Employees at a translation services company report heavier workloads, erratic schedules and burnout since the $1.1 billi...
09/15/2026

Employees at a translation services company report heavier workloads, erratic schedules and burnout since the $1.1 billion company shifted to AI-powered workforce software. https://buff.ly/v4mmQWM

Employees at LanguageLine Solutions report heavier workloads, erratic schedules and burnout since the $1.1 billion company shifted to AI-powered workforce software.

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