Research Brief
Alix Schoback
The minimum wage and racial inequality

Research brief summarizing work by Ellora Derenoncourt and Claire Montialoux.

Research Brief
Alix Schoback
The Voting Rights Act and US economic inequality

Research brief summarizing work by Abhay P. Aneja and Carlos F. Avenancio-León.

Research Brief
Alix Schoback
What caused racial disparities in pollution ...

Summary of research by Janet Currie, John Voorheis, and Reed Walker.

Research Brief
Alix Schoback
Suburbanization and Black employment

Research brief summarizing work by Conrad Miller.

Research Brief
Alix Schoback
Is the Safety Net a long-term investment?

Research brief summarizing work by Martha J. Bailey, Hilary Hoynes, Maya Rossin-Slater, and Reed Walker. | View Presentation

SNAP as a long-term investment

Proposed changes to the US federal budget could entail drastic cuts to vital elements of the social safety net. Given these latest rounds of threats, it's important to reaffirm the many ways in which these programs benefit families—lifting children out of poverty and, in the long run, paying for themselves.

Below, explore key takeaways from research on SNAP — one of the largest anti-poverty programs in the United States.

Check out this video to hear Hilary Hoynes review the evidence on SNAP, as part of an event hosted with the Berkeley Food Institute + Goldman School of Public Policy. Or, read our research brief to learn more about this paper.

Employed in a SNAP: Do work requirements improve labor market outcomes?

In the United States, debates persist over who deserves access to the safety net – and programs like SNAP have long been tied to employment.

Proponents of work requirements argue they are necessary to keep individuals from becoming overly reliant on government assistance, while ritics see them as a barrier that keeps vulnerable recipients from accessing benefits.

What does the evidence say? Dive into this overview of “Employed in a SNAP? The Impact of Work Requirements on Program Participation and Labor Supply” from Adam Leive & coauthors. To learn more about the history behind work requirements and Leive’s research process, check out our Faculty Spotlight.

The minimum wage: research in review

O-Lab highlights faculty research on the minimum wage and its consequences for employment, quality of life, racial equity, and the gig economy.

Perspectives on the impact of the Expanded Child Tax Credit

O-Lab Program Manager Joe Broadus, Faculty Director Hilary Hoynes, and colleagues at the Urban Institute share key takeaways from a convening gathering stakeholder input on a new research agenda on child and family economic well-being.

New evidence on racial dimensions of inequality

Program Manager Joe Broadus recaps new student research on how employment policy can advance or reduce racial disparities in the labor market and promote equitable economic growth.

An introduction to the Place-Based Policy Initiative

Inequality and Place: Promoting Opportunity and Growth through Place Based Policy is working to build a research ecosystem around our world-class faculty working on issues of local and regional development to contribute new evidence to U.S. anti-poverty and economic mobility strategies.

Labor Science in healthcare and education research

This virtual presentation series assembles researchers in healthcare and education policy to present work from the Opportunity Lab’s Labor Science Initiative, providing the opportunity for researchers to exchange insights from exploring issues of inequality and opportunity using new data science tools.