ECO 3250 · Fall 2026 · Section 001 · In Person

Labor Economics

Why do wages differ? Who really pays for the minimum wage? Is college worth it? The economics of the market most of us spend our lives in.

Draft schedule — not yet final
This page is your course. We meet in person; this site carries everything else — slides, interactive labor-market models, and problem sets. Quizzes and exams live on Canvas.

Syllabus (coming soon) · Text: Borjas, Labor Economics

Weekly Path

Week 1 · Aug 17–21Introduction to Labor Economics (Borjas Ch. 1)
Slides coming
Week 2 · Aug 24–28Labor Supply I (Ch. 2)
Slides coming→Quiz 1
Week 3 · Aug 31–Sep 4Labor Supply II: Household Production & the Family (Ch. 2 cont.)
Slides: The Economics of Marriage, Sex & Divorce →Quiz 2
Week 4 · Sep 7–11Labor Demand (Ch. 3)
Slides coming→Quiz 3
Week 5 · Sep 14–18Labor Market Equilibrium (Ch. 4)
Slides coming →Demo: Labor Market Supply & Demand →Quiz 4
Week 6 · Sep 21–25Policy in the Labor Market: Minimum Wage & Monopsony (Ch. 4 cont.)
Slides coming →Demos: Minimum Wage · Monopsony →Quiz 5
Week 7 · Sep 28–Oct 2Exam 1 (Ch. 1–4)
Week 8 · Oct 5–9Compensating Wage Differentials (Ch. 5)
Slides coming→Quiz 6
Week 9 · Oct 12–16Human Capital & Education (Ch. 6)
Slides coming →Demo: Human Capital & Returns to Education →Quiz 7
Week 10 · Oct 19–23The Wage Distribution (Ch. 7)
Slides coming→Quiz 8
Week 11 · Oct 26–30Labor Mobility & Migration (Ch. 8)
Slides coming→Quiz 9
Week 12 · Nov 2–6Exam 2 (Ch. 5–8)
Week 13 · Nov 9–13Labor Market Discrimination (Ch. 9)
Slides coming→Quiz 10
Week 14 · Nov 16–20Labor Unions (Ch. 10)
Slides coming →Demo: Unions & Collective Bargaining →Quiz 11
Week 15 · Nov 23–27Fall Break — no class
Week 16 · Nov 30–Dec 4Incentive Pay & Unemployment (Ch. 11–12)
Slides coming →Demo: Unemployment — Types & Natural Rate →Quiz 12
Finals · Dec 7–13Exam 3 (Ch. 9–12)