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Esther Boler

@estherboler.bsky.social
1.6K followers 854 following 21 posts

Associate Professor of Economics @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social, also @cepr.org, @cep-lse.bsky.social and @cesifo.org. Research on innovation, productivity, trade, environment 🇳🇴🇬🇧🌍

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Esther Boler @estherboler.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
So sorry to miss it!
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Esther Boler @estherboler.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Super excited about this - please apply and share widely!
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
1. In the wake on Mamdani’s win, we’ll see a lot more far right anti-urban sentiment. Here’s a thread on its roots and evolution. The idea that the city is evil and corrupt, and the countryside innocent and pure, goes back a long way: to Theocritus in Alexandria, and to the Old Testament. 🧵
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Jonathan Hopkin @jonathanhopkin.eurosky.social · 19/10/2025
I’m beginning to think the passage of time has washed away that raw understanding of 1914-45 that protected us from lurching back to madness
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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Penn joins MIT and Brown in saying “no” to Trump extortion move.
thedp.com
Penn rejects White House proposal for special funding treatment
With the decision, Penn becomes the third university to decline the offer.
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Jess Piper @piperformissouri.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Take a picture of yourself at the No Kings rally. Print it. Put it in a frame. Your grandchildren will speak about you for generations to come. You took a stand against fascism. You stood up for democracy. 
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Jakob Schneebacher @jschneebacher.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Attention IO job market candidates: Sometimes speakers in the CMA's external economics seminar series have to cancel at relatively short notice. We would love for these slots to go to JMCs to present their job market paper. Drop me a message if you are interested or share with those who might be.
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The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences @scienceacademyswe.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
🎖️ The Prize in Economic Sciences is awarded to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt! Over the last two centuries the world has seen sustained economic growth. This year’s laureates explain how innovation provides the impetus for further progress. #PrizeinEconomicSciences #NobelPrize
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The New Yorker @newyorker.com · 23/09/2025
Dana Goodyear’s home burned in the L.A. fires. In a new essay, she writes about the disaster and its aftermath. nyer.cm/VNSpo99
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Centre for Economic Policy Research @cepr.org · 15/07/2025
📢 #CallForPapers To honour the memory of Ghazala Azmat, the Economics Department of SciencesPo is creating an award in her name. Junior researchers can submit a paper in economics of discrimination, gender, education & organizational #economics. Submit by 31 August. cepr.org/events/ghaza... #EconSky
To honour the memory of Ghazala Azmat, the Department of Economics of SciencesPo is creating an award in her name.

Ghazala made important contributions in a large number of fields, spanning the economics of discrimination, gender, education and organizational economics. The award will promote work in those fields by young scholars.

The first edition of this award will consist of a 5,000 euro prize for the best paper in this set of fields by junior researchers. The selection of the laureate will be carried out by a scientific committee composed of Pierre Cahuc, Alan Manning and Barbara Petrongolo.

Eligibility for the prize requires that all authors have obtained their PhD after 1 September 2018. Papers written jointly with more senior researchers will not be considered.

The prize will be awarded at SciencesPo during the event organised in memory of Ghazala on 10 December 2025. One of the authors of the prize winning paper will present the work at this event.

Applications must be submitted by 31 August 2025.
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The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 25/08/2025
A clever new study "confirms that the country’s tax code is regressive, not progressive, at the very top," @annielowrey.bsky.social reports. American billionaires "pay lower tax rates than many middle-class professionals":
bit.ly
How the Richest People in America Avoid Paying Taxes
A clever new paper puts concrete numbers to the taxes paid by members of the Forbes 400.
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Petra Moser @pmoser.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
When I got tenure, I decided to use it start a new research agenda, studying US science in the 20th century, how it became dominant, what held it back, and what we can do better. Here's the first pub (with Scott Kim).
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Heidi Shierholz @hshierholz.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
This is a low point for our country. Congress just passed a bill that shreds the safety net, fuels mass deportations, and gives $100K+ annual tax breaks to the ultra-rich—while adding nearly $4 trillion to the debt. My full statement: www.epi.org/press/epi-pr...
epi.org
EPI president Heidi Shierholz denounces passage of GOP budget bill
Congress just passed one of the most destructive economic bills in generations. The Republican budget will gut Medicaid, slash food aid for families, and shutter rural hospitals—just to give tax break...
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Heidi Shierholz @hshierholz.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
Congress is poised to pass one of the most destructive economic bills in generations. It will gut Medicaid, slash food aid for families, shutter rural hospitals—just to give tax breaks that will go overwhelmingly to the wealthy. It is a staggering upward redistribution of income. 1/
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Bill Chopik @chops310.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
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Ada Palmer @adapalmer.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
Fog nets turn Chile’s Atacama Desert into a salad bowl. In Chañaral, growers are using mesh 'fog catchers' to harvest up to 1,400 litres of water daily from coastal mist, enough to raise lettuce and lemon trees in the planet’s driest desert. buff.ly/gWc9srr #ShareGoodNewsToo
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Esther Boler @estherboler.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
I feel seen
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Meredith Crowley @meredith-crowley.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
The New Global Economy: Trade Wars and De-dollarisation? Submissions deadline: 1 July 2025 Conference dates: 27-28 September 2025 Location: Cambridge UK
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Centre for European Reform @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
In a new @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social policy brief, @johnspringford.bsky.social‬ finds that many foreign workers needed for net zero will not meet the UK's new higher salary and skills thresholds for visas. Read here: buff.ly/E9eFpiH
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Esther Boler @estherboler.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
Could not disagree more with this conclusion. One retailer’s transport emission is hardly a comprehensive measure of the climate effect of trade (or lack thereof).
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Martin Friedrich @martinfriedrich.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
We're hiring a postdoc in labor economics at IAB Nuremberg! Join @ineshelmecon.bsky.social, @jnimczik.bsky.social & me on a project about gig work. 🗓️ Start: 1 Oct 25 💶 Salary ≥ €5200/month
 🌱 Possibility to apply for tenure track program Apply here until 17 June: econjobmarket.org/positions/11...
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Konrad Burchardi @konradburchardi.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
💥Research Assistant Positions💥 1. Ingvild Almås, Timo Boppart, Thor Berger, Hannes Malmberg, and I are looking for a research assistant to work on a project which investigates Sweden's spectacular economic growth during the late 19th century using establishment-level data.
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Yoto V. Yotov @yotoyotov.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
Javier Flórez (@pseud0safari.bsky.social), Mario Larch, Sebastien Bradley, and I are very happy share the update of the most disaggregated dataset of consistently constructed international and domestic trade flows -- GRANTPA. So, let’s estimate GRAVITY with GRANTPA. ideas.repec.org/p/drx/wpaper...
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Brad Plumer @bradplumer.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
DOE cancels $3.7 billion in demonstration projects aimed at cutting emissions — a couple big carbon capture demos, but also cement, glass, iron, chemicals projects. Calpine and Exxon Mobil were hit, as were startups like Sublime and Brimstone. (Full list in story.) www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/c...
nytimes.com
Energy Dept. Cancels $3.7 Billion for New Technologies to Lower Emissions
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Esther Boler @estherboler.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
Imagine a world where governments believed universities, research and innovation were central, even vital, for growth?
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Diane Coyle @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
I had to read this several times as “prioritise growth” and “hit universities over the head” are so mutually contradictory
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
60% of American households can’t afford a minimal quality of life. Meanwhile, the 19 richest households saw their wealth increase by $1 trillion in 2024 — the biggest one-year increase ever. Our problem isn't a lack of resources. Our problem is ever-expanding inequality.
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Gabriel Zucman @gabrielzucman.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
A long long time ago, in a far away galaxy... the US used to tax the rich
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Resolution Foundation @resolutionfoundation.org · 21/05/2025
With the exception of the Department of Health and Social Care and the Home Office, departments already have smaller budgets than before austerity. Read more ⤵️ buff.ly/RTk1uYz
Chart showing change in real per-person RDEL between 2009-10 and 2025-26, sized by department: selected departments, UK
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Alex Hern @hern.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
“A good science fiction story should be able to predict not the automobile but the traffic jam.” – Frederik Pohl
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Marie Le Conte @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · 18/05/2025
how bleak that following most elections now is going WOOOOOOO fascists only on 47%!!!!!!!
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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 18/05/2025
A must read
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Jacob Öberg @profjacob.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
🚨🚨 Another lovely and welcome present from Donald #Trump: @ec.europa.eu invests 1,25 BILLION euro in researchers and invites them to choose #Europe for #science. Excellent decision by Commission. #europeforscience ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
ec.europa.eu
Commission invests €1.25 billion in researchers and invites them to ‘Choose Europe for Science\'
Europe is stepping up its ambition to cement the position of a global leader in research. New calls worth over €1.25 billion in 2025 under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) open doors for new ...
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Prof David Bailey @dgbailey.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Jonathan Portes is spot on: There’s one slight issue with Labour’s immigration plans: they’re completely untethered from reality. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
There’s one slight issue with Labour’s immigration plans: they’re completely untethered from reality | Jonathan Portes
The government’s new policy will take us back to an uglier, more dangerous place – and it’s not even supported by the data, says professor of public policy Jonathan Portes
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Jakob Schneebacher @jschneebacher.bsky.social · 10/05/2025
The programme for the third City-CMA competition workshop on 17-18 June is now out: The first day is dedicated to AI, technology and digital issues; the second to competition policy and economic growth. 1/2
sites.google.com
anikandrova - Economics of Competition and Regulation Workshop 2025
About the workshop
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Jacob Öberg @profjacob.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
🚨🚨So the terms of the UK-US Economic Partnership Deal has been disclosed. The only you need to know now is that it is actually NOT a A FREE TRADE AGREEMENT containing LEGALLY BINDING OBLIGATIONS.🧵 assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/681d32...
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Esther Boler @estherboler.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
Make international economics great again!
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Natasha Loder @natashaloder.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
New analysis reveals the Trump administration canceled $1.8 billion in NIH grants in just over a month-an unprecedented disruption to US scientific research. Of that, $544 million hadn’t even been spent yet. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com
Characterization of Research Grant Terminations at the National Institutes of Health
This study examines the impact of National Institutes of Health grant terminations on the US research enterprise by quantifying the number and funding amount of these terminations and characterizing t...
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VoxEU @ CEPR @voxeu.org · 02/05/2025
Data from #Norway show that lower profitability in the fossil energy sector due to falling oil prices led to reallocation of R&D resources within firms, triggering a shift towards clean #innovation. Esther Ann Bøler, Katinka Holtsmark, Karen Helene Ulltveit-Moe cepr.org/voxeu/column... #EconSky
Graph of the share of firms with clean R&D. It shows that after the oil price plummeted, the share of firms with clean R&D increased drastically.

The transition to clean energy will require a significant reallocation of technological investments away from fossil energy sources towards cleaner alternatives. This column investigates whether leveraging the technological capabilities in the fossil energy supply chain can help incentivise this reallocation with the required speed. Using data from Norway, the authors highlight an underexplored channel for renewable technologies – lower profitability in the fossil energy sector led to reallocation of R&D resources within firms, triggering a shift towards clean innovation.
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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
This is incredible. Reminds me of this guy: www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2...
washingtonpost.com
James Harrison, whose rare blood protected millions of babies, dies at 88
A rare antibody in his blood was used to create 3 million doses of an injection needed to protect newborns and prevent stillbirths.
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Charles Kenny @charlesjkenny.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Parts of the administration's proposed foreign assistance budget that will put the US at risk, weaken it, or make it poorer include... 1. Ending support for UN peacekeeping operations --already underfunded, far from perfect, but remarkably successful given the messy geopolitics
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Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 01/05/2025
Excellent piece from @chrisgiles.ft.com. It's notable how, as per Mark Carney's comments, Brexit has become the internationally recognized yardstick of national economic self-harm. It's not even contentious: the talking point is whether and to what extent it applies to what Trump is doing to the US.
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Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
I’m glad to see this article but it’s after 24 hours of unchallenged corporate guff dominating the news cycle. Tony Blair is a tech lobbyist who is literally writing naive, venal & dangerous policy for Starmer’s government. Call it out. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Blair’s net zero intervention invites scrutiny of his institute’s donors
Labour insider rebukes ‘tech bros’ within Tony Blair Institute as critics question past work with petrostates
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Doug Parr @dougparr.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
1/12 Tony Blair Institute have released a report which is getting a lot of coverage in UK today It says the drive for net zero emissions is flawed and some media outlets have gone to town However it’s a bit odd By odd, I mean there’s a lot of bollocks in it and shouldn't be taken seriously 🧵🧵
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Sam Eyler-Driscoll 🍉🌻🍁 @sameyler.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
Real cool new NBER WP here by @mdoepke.bsky.social et al that suggests men view women’s workplace gains as zero sum www.nber.org/papers/w3372...
nber.org
Protection for Whom? The Political Economy of Protective Labor Laws for Women
Founded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an...
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Randall Munroe @xkcd.com · 25/04/2025
PhD Timeline xkcd.com/3081
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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
Another report on how our high visa costs deter top R&D talent www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
"The UK's upfront immigration costs now vastly exceed other leading research nations, so the UK is struggling to compete.
EU countries can more easily attract talent from the EU due to free movement, and from non-EU countries due to their relatively low visa costs.
"Non-EU countries are also attractive to global research talent due to lower comparative immigration costs than the
UK."
British scientific institutions are having to spend huge sums on visa costs for cancer professionals they wish to attract and recruit.
The Francis Crick Institute, one of the world's leading biomedical research centres, is now spending more than £500,000 a year on visas for cancer scientists. Cancer Research UK institutes are spending almost £690,000 a year, up 44% from £470,000 in 2022-23.
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Felix Montag @fmontag.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
Giulia Brancaccio and I are looking for a pre-doc to work with us on topics related to Industrial Organization and Trade @nyu.edu Ideally for two years starting in September apply.interfolio.com/165860 #EconSky #EconRA
apply.interfolio.com
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
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Shelly Lundberg @shellyjlundberg.bsky.social · 21/04/2025
This short memoir by Michelle White is worth a bit of everyone's time.
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