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Jadrian Wooten

@wootenomics.bsky.social
697 followers 178 following 251 posts

Economics Educator at Virginia Tech & author of Monday Morning Economist newsletter (www.mondayeconomist.com)

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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
A recruiter says bringing iced coffee to a job interview signals you don't take it seriously. Gen Z says that's absurd. Both sides are describing a Nobel Prize-winning economic idea. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/iced-coffe...
mondayeconomist.com
What Your Iced Coffee Is Telling Your Interviewer
A recruiter says your iced coffee could cost you the job. Gen Z says that's ridiculous. A Nobel-winning economist would say they both have a point.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Diesel just hit a record $6 a gallon, but history says it won't come back down nearly as fast as it went up. There's a name for this pattern, which I broke down in this week's Monday Morning Economist: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/oil-and-ga...
mondayeconomist.com
Oil and Gas Prices Move Together Like Rockets and Feathers
Gas prices shot up in 72 hours, but history says the relief will take weeks. Here's the economic pattern behind every "hang in there" you've ever heard at the pump.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The US Open sold 738,459 Honey Deuces last year at $23 each. Organizers expect even more this year. Sales increased faster than attendance over the past few years, but what's changed? This week's piece explores whether the experience economy can explain it: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/an-overnig...
mondayeconomist.com
An Overnight Success, 18 Years in the Making
The US Open hoped to sell 800,000 Honey Deuces this year at $23 a pop. Here's the economics behind why a cocktail became the real story of the US Open.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
A Virginia flight school just became certified as DC's newest airport, but It's 40 miles from downtown. That sent me looking for the last time a major U.S. city built a real second airport instead of expanding one it had. The answer's older than you'd think: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/nepa
mondayeconomist.com
Why Hasn't a Major American City Built a Second Airport Since the 1970s?
Why do America's busiest airports keep getting bigger instead of getting company? A look at the last time any major U.S. city actually built a new one, and why that stopped.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
More housing lowers prices, but more highway lanes don't ease traffic. The same economic logic produces completely different results. The reason why comes down to one idea that is easy to overlook. Enjoy this week's newsletter: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/fundamenta...
mondayeconomist.com
Why More Houses Lower Prices but Extra Highway Lanes Don't Ease Traffic
A viral tweet called this a contradiction, but it's not. It's one of the most elegant ideas in economics, and it's hard to unsee it once you learn about it.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Every time I stopped by the store, I saw the same empty shelf for this year's hottest toy and a sign rationing a product that was never there. The company that makes the product could raise the price to match the surge in demand, but it won't. Here's why: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/needoh
mondayeconomist.com
The Maker of America's Hottest Toy Refuses to Raise Prices
Why is NeeDoh, America's hottest toy, always sold out? Empty shelves, rationing signs, and the supply-and-demand story behind the shortage.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
A college student said a burrito shouldn't cost $20, and the internet lost its mind arguing about it. A few people tried to explain what's going on, and that sent me down the rabbit hole for this week's piece on real vs. nominal burrito prices. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/20-dollar-...
mondayeconomist.com
The Great $20 Burrito Panic of 2026
A college kid's viral complaint about a $20 burrito turned into a political food fight. Nobody explained the actual economics, so we did.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Budget phones and mid-range laptops are quietly disappearing from the market, but it's because of inflation, tariffs, or the supply chain chaos from a few years ago. The real explanation is simpler than a conspiracy: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/the-middle...
mondayeconomist.com
The Middle Class of Tech Is Quietly Vanishing
Budget phones and mid-range laptops are quietly vanishing, but not because of inflation or tariffs. They're disappearing thanks to an AI-fueled memory chip shortage most people haven't heard about.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Back-to-school inflation is running way ahead of the headline number, but it's not even across items in your cart. Some items are up 20%+, but a couple are actually cheaper. This week's article breaks down exactly which is which, item by item: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/back-to-sc...
mondayeconomist.com
Your Kid's School Supplies Cost More This Year
Your back-to-school cart is running hotter than headline inflation, and some items are way hotter. Here's a complete item-by-item breakdown that highlights which items actually got cheaper.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
New York City requires three separate licenses to cut hair legally. @mayor.nyc.gov wants to change that, but let's use that absurd detail to dig into the economics of occupational licensing. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/occupation...
mondayeconomist.com
The Anti-Fade Problem
It takes three separate government licenses to legally cut hair in New York City. Here's the economics of why and who actually benefits.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Grocery unit sales fell last month as prices climbed 2-3%. Shoppers are trading down brands, buying less, and leaning on coupons, but why do some price hikes barely register while others send you straight to the store brand? www.mondayeconomist.com/p/grocery-el...
mondayeconomist.com
The Quiet Math Happening in Every Grocery Cart
Why does a price increase send you running for the store brand on cereal, but not on eggs? The answer is hiding in your shopping cart.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
1 in 4 Americans thinks they could score a penalty kick against a professional goalkeeper in a #WorldCup match. This week's article is about that confidence and why it's one of the most expensive biases in behavioral economics. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/from-the-p...
mondayeconomist.com
From the Penalty Spot to Your Portfolio
What penalty kicks, emergency landings, and sports bets have in common: we all think we'd be fine.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
We're putting together a special issue at the IREE on AI in teaching, assessment, and learning. If you're doing interesting work in your econ courses, we want to see it. Especially applied, replicable stuff. Submissions open Sept 1, 2026 👇 www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu...
sciencedirect.com
International Review of Economics Education | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier - International Review of Economics Education | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier
Read the latest articles of International Review of Economics Education at ScienceDirect.com, Elsevier’s leading platform of peer-reviewed scholarly literature
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
The USMNT's (@usmnt.ussoccer.com) World Cup goalkeeper wrote a paper while he was working on his econ degree at Harvard, but he's never told anyone what's in it. His silence is the perfect entry point into the game theory lessons you'll find in the sprt. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/penalty-ki...
mondayeconomist.com
What Matt Freese Won't Tell You About Penalty Kicks
A Harvard economist plays goalkeeper for the USMNT at the World Cup. He wrote a research paper on penalty kicks years ago, but he won't tell anyone what's in it. Here's why that's the perfect way to u...
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
I had a great seat at the #FIFAWorldCup. Then someone a few rows ahead of me stood up. Then the next row. Then the next. By the time it reached me, I had no choice but to stand, too. Here's the economics of why that happens: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/standing-e...
mondayeconomist.com
Everyone Stood Up, But Nobody Got a Better View
I had a perfect seat at the World Cup. Then someone a few rows ahead of me stood up. Then the next row. Then the next. By the time it reached me, I had no choice but to stand, too. Here's the economic...
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Nearly half of Cabo Verde's squad grew up outside the island. All but one of Curaçao's players were born in the Netherlands. It may look like a loophole, but it's actually a great example of labor mobility and allocative efficiency. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/cabo-verde
mondayeconomist.com
The World Cup's Best Story Is Actually an Economics Lesson
Cabo Verde is drawing against some of the strongest teams at the 2026 World Cup. All but one of Curaçao's twenty-six players were born in the Netherlands. This is one of the clearest illustrations of ...
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
New paper out in Applied Economic Letters with Dusty White! We checked every external hyperlink in the top 5 econ journals (2011–2020) and found: ➡️ 52% are dead ➡️ 25% of "working" links don't even show the original content anymore. Gift link to the paper in response ⬇️
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
International visitors are going viral for their reactions to ordinary American stores. A Soviet politician had the same reaction to a Houston grocery store in 1989. The economics connecting those two moments are fascinating. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/the-world-...
mondayeconomist.com
The World Cup's Most Unexpected Highlight
A German fan couldn't choose from 100+ sodas. A Scot called Buc-ee's one of a kind. A Swede couldn't believe every restaurant has its own ranch. This summer's World Cup visitors are stumbling onto the...
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
FIFA has promised $80 billion and 200,000 permanent jobs from a two-month tournament. Those projections are no more than a promotional press release. Learn why, and start preparing for the victory lap we'll see come July. #FIFAWorldCup www.mondayeconomist.com/p/world-cup-...
mondayeconomist.com
The World Cup Won't Save the Economy. Don't Let Anyone Tell You Otherwise.
Every World Cup comes with billion-dollar promises. Every time, the economists shrug. Before FIFA and politicians take their victory lap in July, here's what the research has been saying for decades a...
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
The Fed just found that only 2% of Americans used crypto to buy anything last year. Seventeen years in, we asked the economist's favorite question: is crypto actually money? www.mondayeconomist.com/p/bitcoin
mondayeconomist.com
The Currency That Nobody Spends
Is crypto actually money? It has the wallets. It has the transactions. It even had an entire country behind it. But only 2% of Americans used crypto to buy anything last year.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Consumer prices increased 3.8% from this time last year. If your raise was less than that, you're behind where you were twelve months ago. This week's article looks at the difference between nominal wages & real wages: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/cost-of-li...
mondayeconomist.com
Your Raise Was Actually a Pay Cut
You're earning more and affording less, and it's not because you're bad with money. The latest inflation numbers show that most American workers effectively took a pay cut this year, even if their sal...
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Spotify doesn't charge you to leave, so why does it feel like it would cost you something? This week's article looks at how switching costs show up in your playlists, your algorithm, and your listening history. Check it out: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/spotify-an...
mondayeconomist.com
The Cost of Your First Song
Spotify wants you to look up the first song you ever streamed. That nostalgic feeling? It's also the reason you'll probably never cancel.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
ShinyHunters hacked Canvas during finals week & demanded a ransom. But why would anyone pay criminals who could just take the money and leak the data anyway? It turns out pirate captains faced the same problem and solved it with the Jolly Roger 🏴‍☠️ www.mondayeconomist.com/p/canvas-hac...
mondayeconomist.com
The Jolly Roger and the Ransom Note
ShinyHunters hacked Canvas during finals week and demanded a ransom. Why would anyone pay criminals who could just take the money and dump the data anyway? Pirates had the answer 300 years ago.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Spirit Airlines lost money for six straight years but kept flying anyway. Then jet fuel doubled, and things changed everything overnight. Understanding the shut down rule can explain both: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/spirit-air...
mondayeconomist.com
The Last Flight of Spirit Airlines
Spirit flew for years while losing money. Then jet fuel doubled overnight and grounded them for good.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Economists tracked what happened to household grocery spending when remote work reshuffled who was doing the shopping. Families paid 3–5% more for essentially the same items. The reason is more interesting than you might expect. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/expert-sho...
mondayeconomist.com
When the Expert Stops Shopping, Someone Pays the Price
He bought two cans of tomato sauce, just to be safe. Multiply that across thousands of households every day, and you have an economics problem worth understanding.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Researchers surveyed hundreds of environmental economists on environmental policy topics. On some questions, 97% agree. On others, there's no consensus at all. The divide tells you a lot about where environmental policy is headed: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/consensus-...
mondayeconomist.com
What Do Environmental Economists Actually Think About the Environment?
Economists have a reputation for disagreeing on everything. But when it comes to the environment, the experts are more aligned than you might think.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Whether you learned personal finance in high school came down to one thing: which state you grew up in. We broke down the data, the research, and what to do if school never covered it. Start with the quiz: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/financial-...
mondayeconomist.com
Most Americans Can't Answer These Three Money Questions
Can you answer these three money questions? Most American adults can't, and it turns out that whether you ever learned this stuff in school depended largely on where you grew up.
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Reposted by Jadrian Wooten
EconomicsInTen @economicsinten.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Just shared this with my Y12 economists. Always use 'guns vs butter' when teaching PPFs but never really knew the history behind it all. Now thanks to @wootenomics.bsky.social we do! It also shows the relevance of this discussion today. Have a read... #EconSky
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Trump said the US can't afford to fund daycare because it's fighting wars. That argument has a name in economics. It's been around since 1936, and every president who's tried to ignore it has paid the price. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/guns-and-b...
mondayeconomist.com
Guns and Butter: The Oldest Trade-Off in Economics Is Back
"We're fighting wars. We can't take care of daycare." Trump's off-the-cuff remark at a luncheon is actually one of the oldest ideas in economics. It connects Nazi Germany, LBJ's Great Society, and a g...
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
A group of researchers paid people to quit Facebook and Instagram, then tracked where the time went. It didn't all go to TikTok or Snapchat. It went to games, YouTube, and outside. A 1965 economic theory helps us understand why: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/quitting-s...
mondayeconomist.com
When People Cut Back on Instagram, Where Do They Go?
A field experiment paid thousands of people to give up Facebook and Instagram, and then the researchers tracked where their time went. The answer wasn't TikTok or Snapchat. It was games, YouTube, and ...
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Employers know what the job pays, but you don't. That gap has a name, and it may be costing workers more than they realize. This week's piece with Hannah Williams of Salary Transparent Street is on the economics of salary secrecy. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/sts
mondayeconomist.com
What You Don't Know About Your Salary Is Costing You
Employers know what the job pays. You don't. Here's why that gap exists, and how workers are closing it.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
The '90s nostalgia trend is everywhere, but the economic story is worth revisiting, too. It includes a recession, a budget surplus, NAFTA, and a market bubble that changed how we think about technology. New piece out today: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/what-was-t...
mondayeconomist.com
What Was the Economy Like in the '90s?
From recession to budget surplus to dot-com bubble, the economic story of the '90s is more interesting than the nostalgia lets on.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Last week Dick's Sporting Goods ranked No. 3 in the App Store after Claude and ChatGPT. They didn't build better technology. They offered ten cents a day to go for a walk. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/dicks-app
mondayeconomist.com
Claude, ChatGPT, and Dick's Sporting Goods
Why did Dick's Sporting Goods rank No. 3 in the Apple App Store above Google Gemini? The answer is a simple economics lesson about incentives, data, and ten cents a day.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
No one wants to work anymore? @mayor.nyc.gov offered $30/hour to shovel snow during last week’s blizzard, and people showed up. Preferences didn’t change. The price of time did. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/nyc-snow-s...
mondayeconomist.com
When Staying Home Costs $30 an Hour
No one wants to work anymore… until wages rise. NYC’s snowstorm shows how incentives and opportunity costs shape labor supply.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Norway dominated the #WinterOlympics. But who fell short at #MilanoCortina2026? Using population & income, I quickly estimated how many medals countries should have won & compared it to the final medal table. There were some surprising underachievers! www.mondayeconomist.com/p/winter-oly...
mondayeconomist.com
The Countries That Fell Short at the Winter Olympic Games
Who really “won” the Winter Olympics? Not all medals are equal. This analysis shows which countries fell short of expectations, and why.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
The spotlight of last week's #SuperBowl captured Puerto Rican culture. But what do the numbers say about the island’s economy? Here’s a look at how a quick look at how Puerto Rico compares to the U.S. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/puerto-ric...
mondayeconomist.com
Puerto Rico by the Numbers
Beyond the Super Bowl spotlight, what does the data say about Puerto Rico’s economy?
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
I joined The Indicator from @planetmoney.bsky.social to talk about the surprising comeback of Hamburger Helper, and the economic forces behind it. 🎧 Give it a listen: www.npr.org/2026/02/10/n...
npr.org
The boxed meal helping Americans stay on budget : The Indicator from Planet Money
Food keeps getting more expensive, so how do shoppers respond? They change what they buy, right? It’s not just that cheaper foods get more popular. Shoppers are more nuanced than that. So, today on th...
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Everyone loves the smell of donuts. But what happens when the smell doesn’t fade? In a Massachusetts town, residents living near a donut production facility are finding out. Their experience turns a classic economics example into something more complicated. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/dunkin-fac...
mondayeconomist.com
Some Massachusetts Residents Are a Little Tired of Running on Dunkin’
You love the smell of donuts… until it never goes away. A Massachusetts town shows how a textbook example turns messy in real life.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
After a big snowstorm, some major cities around the U.S. see an influx of folding chairs used to claim cleaned-out parking spots, even though the practice often isn't legal. This week's article explores how economics can explain the famous parking chair: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/parking-ch...
mondayeconomist.com
Pull Up a Parking Chair
You find the perfect parking space after a snowstorm, until you see a folding chair sitting in the middle. Why does it work, even when it’s not legal?
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
A 10% credit card rate sounds like an obvious fix to record-breaking credit card debt. But interest rates are prices, and price controls have predictable side effects. This week's article explains why capping rates could hurt the borrowers it’s meant to help: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/a-10-credi...
mondayeconomist.com
A 10% Credit Card Rate Sounds Great. Here’s the Catch.
What happens when the price of borrowing is set by law
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
I'm excited to share a new open-access paper I co-authored with Wayne Geerling and Dirk Mateer: Who are the next wave of influential economics educators? We used 5 years of recent citation data to find out. 🧵
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
People report stealing more at self-checkout, even as stores make it harder to get away with it. That sounds contradictory until you look at the incentives. This week’s newsletter uses Gary Becker’s rational model of crime to explain what’s changed. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/when-self-...
mondayeconomist.com
When Self-Checkout Turns Shoppers Into Economists
What looks like a sudden surge in theft turns out to line up closely with something economists have understood for a long time.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Would you rather earn $240,000 in-office or $120,000 remotely? This week’s post uses that viral debate to explain compensating wage differentials. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/remove-vs-...
mondayeconomist.com
$240,000 in-office vs. $120,000 remote
How much income does a worker require to give up job amenities like flexibility, autonomy, and location choice?
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Back-to-school resource for econ teachers 📚 I put together a list of Monday Morning Economist articles I assign in my micro class, organized by core concept. Feel free to copy my work. If you’ve used any in class, I’d love to know which ones worked best. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/how-i-use-...
mondayeconomist.com
How I Use Monday Morning Economist in Class
Below is a curated list of Monday Morning Economist articles I assign for each week in my economics courses.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
The inaugural 2025 Janet L. Yellen Award for Excellence in Public Service was awarded to Janet Yellen
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
International visitors will now pay more to enter some U.S. national parks. Economists call it price discrimination, a strategy we see everywhere once we know how to spot it. The economics are straightforward, but the fairness debate is not. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/americas-n...
mondayeconomist.com
America’s National Parks Just Got More Expensive For Some Visitors
A new fee structure for international tourists reveals the economic logic behind charging different people different prices.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
A year-end wrap-up of Monday Morning Economist: the posts that sparked the most conversation, the books I couldn’t stop thinking about, and a thank-you to the readers who made it all so much fun to do each week. Full reflection here: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/2025
mondayeconomist.com
A Few of My Favorite Things This Year
What I wrote, what I read, and what I learned along the way
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
Do people still get holiday bonuses? Watching Christmas Vacation this year made me curious, so I looked at the data. Who gets bonuses today, what kinds of bonuses still exist, and why firms are cautious about offering them. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/christmas-...
mondayeconomist.com
Do People Still Get Holiday Bonuses?
Watching Christmas Vacation sparked a question: how common are holiday bonuses, really? The data tell a very different story.
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
One of the most popular video games of the year is also being called one of the “chillest” PvP shooters, which is not how this genre usually works. I teamed up with Noah Trudeau to explain why ARC Raiders looks like a game of hawks and doves. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/arc-raiders
mondayeconomist.com
Hawks, Doves, and ARC Raiders
Game theory can explain how one of America’s hottest video games is… chill?
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Jadrian Wooten @wootenomics.bsky.social · 08/12/2025
Pantone named “Cloud Dancer” as the 2026 Color of the Year. The color is simple, but the economics behind it are not. www.mondayeconomist.com/p/pantone
mondayeconomist.com
The Economics Behind Pantone’s Color of the Year
A shade of white will be the defining color of the next year. Some may think it's boring, but the economics behind it aren't.
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