Research on Inequality and Market Power in Latin America
Faculty Supervisor(s):
Ana De La O, Orazio Attanasio, and Mayara Felix
Position and Project Description:
We are searching for a pre-doctoral researcher to work on evidence-driven, policy-relevant research projects related to inequality and market power in Latin America. The pre-doc will work half the time with Yale Professor Orazio Attanasio (Economics) and Associate Professor Ana De La O (Political Science), who are collaborating on the Latin American and the Caribbean Inequality Review (LACIR, https://lacir.lse.ac.uk/en-gb/publications), and half the time with Assistant Professor Mayara Felix (Economics) on a project about trade and market power in Colombia.
The pre-doc position offers an opportunity to sharpen data analysis and research skills on topics related to inequality, trade, and market power in Latin America. Examples of projects by Prof. Attanasio and Prof. De La O include an analysis of the evolution of inequality over the life cycle (i.e., from early childhood to labor market choices), and a project examining to what extent Latin Americans opt out of public education, with consequences for attitudes toward the state, members of different income groups, and political behavior. With Prof. Felix, the pre-doc will work on a project analyzing the effects of the US-Colombia 2012 Trade Promotion Agreement on Colombian firms' import behavior, price markups, and ultimately prices faced by poor Colombian consumers.
Finally, LACIR has produced several papers describing different dimensions of inequality (income, education, early childhood development, political voice). The pre-doc position offers the opportunity to be involved in the production of a book that will distill and synthesize lessons from LACIR research.
The pre-doctoral researcher will be involved in several parts of the research process, from generating research ideas and conducting literature reviews to collecting and analyzing data and drafting research papers.
Specific tasks include:
- Collect, clean, merge, and maintain datasets.
- Analyze data using statistical analysis software (e.g., Stata, R, Python).
- Prepare detailed documentation.
- Conduct literature reviews.
- Develop survey items to measure attitudes and political behavior.
- Review and synthesize LACIR findings.
- Assist with the writing of research papers.
- Willingness to travel to Colombia and/or Peru to help collect data and/or coordinate other research processes.
Requisite Skills and Qualifications:
The position requires:
- Proficiency in English and Spanish.
- Proficiency in Stata (preferred) or R.
- Strong quantitative background and programming experience.
- Excellent writing skills.
In addition, the ideal candidate will be able to work independently and demonstrate a keen interest in inequality, development, trade, and/or political economy in Latin America.
We encourage candidates with solid technical skills and a desire to conduct applied quantitative research methods to apply. We also strongly encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, particularly women, people of color, and other marginalized communities that have historically been underrepresented in the field of economics.