Claudia Goldin and the economics of women and work

Abstract

Claudia Goldin won the 2023 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences “for having advanced our understanding of women’s labor market outcomes.” Wielding her expertise in economic history and labor economics, she produced the first comprehensive account of the evolution of women’s labor supply and earnings in a span of 200 years. While recognizing the role of discrimination, Goldin is known for exploring alternative drivers of the gender gap by using the lens of education, fertility, parenthood, social norms, institutional change, and women’s aspirations and identity. Her body of work was key for the study of women’s labor market outcomes—a subject that had been largely overlooked—to enter mainstream economics. This paper highlights Goldin’s major contributions to economics as a field and influence on policy research.

JEL classification: J16, N3