Opportunity

Salary Caps for Public Managers: Cutting Costs, or Losing Talent?

Salary caps for public-sector workers are a popular policy in many countries. While these caps can contribute to fiscal savings, many argue that they also undermine the efficiency of public-sector organizations by driving talented workers away.

06.09.2026

Life-cycle effects of public childcare: Evidence on children and their parents

How does access to public childcare shape the career trajectories of parents? And, what is the active ingredient behind the long-term impacts of childcare programs on children’s labor market outcomes?

03.09.2026

When Classmates Matter: How Competitive Peers Steer Students Toward Better-Paid Jobs

Most adolescents in Switzerland face one of the most consequential decisions of their educational pathway at the early age of 14: choosing an apprenticeship from around 200 options, from baker to information technologist. In our new study, we show that...

26.08.2026

Why Firms Hesitate to Hire Occupation Switchers

When workers change occupations, what makes firms willing to hire them? Most research on occupational mobility looks at it from the perspective of workers: who switches occupations and why. Less is known about how firms evaluate candidates from other occupations.

21.08.2026

The Rules of the Game: How Wage Bargaining Rules Shape the Gender Pay Gap

The gender pay gap is often attributed to broad differences in education, experience, or career choices. However, even when men and women hold the same positions within the same firm, a pay gap often persists. Our recent study identifies a...

12.08.2026

Why Class Background Matters for Professional Success 

Organizations and researchers have rightly examined the roles of gender and race in career disparities within elite occupations. But there is a glaring omission: class. Why? There is a common assumption that once someone attends an elite college or receives...

05.08.2026

Still Waters, Rapid Currents

Picture a marketing professional drafting ad copy with a chatbot, an IT support specialist troubleshooting user issues, or a teacher spotting AI-generated student homework. Two years after ChatGPT’s launch, generative AI has rapidly become part of white-collar work. Yet for...

29.07.2026

The Renegotiation Gap: Why Outside Job Opportunities Widen the Gender Wage Gap

Women earn less than men even when they hold the same job in the same workplace. In Sweden – one of the most gender-equal countries in the world – women in the private sector earn 8% less per hour than...

20.07.2026

Seasonal Allergies and Accidents

Hay fever, or seasonal allergies, affects more than 400 million people worldwide. During pollen season, sufferers face sneezing, itchy eyes, and daytime sleepiness. Most consider it a minor nuisance. Could these effects be causing real accidents—and serious economic losses?

16.07.2026

Who Is Left Out? Collective Bargaining and Low-Wage Workers in Germany

Germany’s collective bargaining system has long been a cornerstone of fair wages and stable labor relations. But its reach has weakened—and not evenly. Our study shows that while collective agreements still shape wages for many workers, coverage has declined over...

10.07.2026

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Research Insights Tag: Opportunity