@mokhtartabari.bsky.social
Assistant professor of economics
mokhtartabari.ca
mokhtartabari.ca
Today’s Q3 GDP came in at 0.6%, but the foundation is weak.
The breakdown shows that in 2024 growth was broad-based.
Now the orange line tells a different story: fewer industries are contributing. The headline is rising, but the growth isn’t widely shared — and that’s concerning.
#CdnEcon #EconSky
The breakdown shows that in 2024 growth was broad-based.
Now the orange line tells a different story: fewer industries are contributing. The headline is rising, but the growth isn’t widely shared — and that’s concerning.
#CdnEcon #EconSky
November 28, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Proud to see our new paper shared by the journal! Many thanks to my co-author, Scott. Using a rich dataset, we estimate productivity at the firm-product level. A method we hope can be used by other researchers as more detailed datasets become available.
#EconSky #Productivity #Trade
#EconSky #Productivity #Trade
Decomposing productivity changes from Chinese imports > Firms quality upgrade and add low productivity goods. Just Accepted new paper by Scott Orr and Mokhtar Tabari @mokhtartabari.bsky.social zurl.co/8SpN2
Decomposing the Within-Firm Productivity Gains from Trade: Evidence from India
Abstract. We develop a decomposition of firm-level revenue-based TFP growth into six margins: i) mean quantity-based TFP growth, ii) mean growth in demand shifters, iii) intensive margin specialization effects, iv) scope effects, v) product adding effects, and vi) product dropping effects. We then estimate and decompose firm-level revenue-based TFP gains generated by increased Chinese import competition and input access using Indian manufacturing data. We find evidence of quality upgrading in response to increased output market competition, and that firms tend to add new products that are lower productivity than their incumbent goods in response to increased input access.
zurl.co
August 20, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Proud to see our new paper shared by the journal! Many thanks to my co-author, Scott. Using a rich dataset, we estimate productivity at the firm-product level. A method we hope can be used by other researchers as more detailed datasets become available.
#EconSky #Productivity #Trade
#EconSky #Productivity #Trade
Reposted
Other countries have agency & domestic politics, too 🇨🇦
August 16, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Other countries have agency & domestic politics, too 🇨🇦
Reposted
Not sure how many people realize that battery storage already supplies 30% of California’s electricity demand at peak.
Batteries aren’t the future — they’re here now.
Batteries aren’t the future — they’re here now.
May 23, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Not sure how many people realize that battery storage already supplies 30% of California’s electricity demand at peak.
Batteries aren’t the future — they’re here now.
Batteries aren’t the future — they’re here now.
Reposted
Cansim v0.4.2 is now on CRAN. It comes with a significant update on how to access data by coordinate with an eye to greatly simplify partial table download.
It comes with a new function to create "table templates" as an easy way to filter for variables of interest and then download just that subset.
It comes with a new function to create "table templates" as an easy way to filter for variables of interest and then download just that subset.
Retrieve and work with public Statistics Canada data tables in R
Searches for, accesses, and retrieves Statistics Canada data tables, as well as individual vectors, as tidy data frames. This package enriches the tables with metadata, deals with encoding issues, all...
mountainmath.github.io
May 13, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Cansim v0.4.2 is now on CRAN. It comes with a significant update on how to access data by coordinate with an eye to greatly simplify partial table download.
It comes with a new function to create "table templates" as an easy way to filter for variables of interest and then download just that subset.
It comes with a new function to create "table templates" as an easy way to filter for variables of interest and then download just that subset.
Reposted
Fixed-effects estimators, pretty much like the part of the econometrician's toolbox developed before 1970s, originated in agricultural econ: a nice history of Yair Mundlak's (theoretical and applied) contributions by M. Bellemare & @dlmillimet.bsky.social
pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/...
#econsky
pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/...
#econsky
May 12, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Fixed-effects estimators, pretty much like the part of the econometrician's toolbox developed before 1970s, originated in agricultural econ: a nice history of Yair Mundlak's (theoretical and applied) contributions by M. Bellemare & @dlmillimet.bsky.social
pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/...
#econsky
pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/...
#econsky
Reposted
Great thread!
There's a big difference between trade deals and trade agreements. Trade deals are limited, short term, and often superficial (remember IPEF?). Trade agreements are comprehensive, long term, substantive, and require Congressional approval. US isn't doing the latter.
There's a big difference between trade deals and trade agreements. Trade deals are limited, short term, and often superficial (remember IPEF?). Trade agreements are comprehensive, long term, substantive, and require Congressional approval. US isn't doing the latter.
In a long monologue in the Oval Office beside Canadian PM Mark Carney this afternoon, the President appears to say the trade "deals" his team are working on are not deals in the traditional sense, as they will not have to be signed.
This is really significant! More in thread.
This is really significant! More in thread.
May 6, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Great thread!
There's a big difference between trade deals and trade agreements. Trade deals are limited, short term, and often superficial (remember IPEF?). Trade agreements are comprehensive, long term, substantive, and require Congressional approval. US isn't doing the latter.
There's a big difference between trade deals and trade agreements. Trade deals are limited, short term, and often superficial (remember IPEF?). Trade agreements are comprehensive, long term, substantive, and require Congressional approval. US isn't doing the latter.
Reposted
Excellent thread and podcast about the challenges to Britain's free trade policy in 1903....
The world's biggest trade power is in retreat.
A businessman-politician claims his country is under attack.
He demands tariffs to secure the border & make his country great again.
Yes, it's the UK in 1903!
Find out more in this episode of @ppfideas.bsky.social. 🧵 www.ppfideas.com/episodes/ide...
A businessman-politician claims his country is under attack.
He demands tariffs to secure the border & make his country great again.
Yes, it's the UK in 1903!
Find out more in this episode of @ppfideas.bsky.social. 🧵 www.ppfideas.com/episodes/ide...
May 6, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Excellent thread and podcast about the challenges to Britain's free trade policy in 1903....
Reposted
Would be funny if it weren't so pathetic: tariff pause came when Navarro stepped out for a short meeting and Bessent/Lutnick talked trump into pausing and tweeting it immediately. Yes, Sen Murkowski, "We are all afraid".
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Exclusive | Trump Advisers Took Advantage of Navarro’s Absence to Push for Tariff Pause
The alliance between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick illustrates how fast things can change inside the White House.
www.wsj.com
April 19, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Would be funny if it weren't so pathetic: tariff pause came when Navarro stepped out for a short meeting and Bessent/Lutnick talked trump into pausing and tweeting it immediately. Yes, Sen Murkowski, "We are all afraid".
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Reposted
kylebutts.com/blog/2025-04...
A short blog post for efficient stats coding. All about the importance of dimensionality when doing matrix operations ft. 100x speed-up of my code
A short blog post for efficient stats coding. All about the importance of dimensionality when doing matrix operations ft. 100x speed-up of my code
Kyle Butts
Kyle Butts -- Urban Economics and Applied Econometrics
kylebutts.com
April 19, 2025 at 2:06 AM
kylebutts.com/blog/2025-04...
A short blog post for efficient stats coding. All about the importance of dimensionality when doing matrix operations ft. 100x speed-up of my code
A short blog post for efficient stats coding. All about the importance of dimensionality when doing matrix operations ft. 100x speed-up of my code
Reposted
This should be legal across every neighbourhood in expensive cities like Vancouver and Toronto. Not just near transit.
If Canada's going to reach goals like doubling homebuilding rates or building 3 million homes by 2030, cities can't continue to ban apartments like these on most of the land.
If Canada's going to reach goals like doubling homebuilding rates or building 3 million homes by 2030, cities can't continue to ban apartments like these on most of the land.
So, a 6 storey, single stair 12 plex happens to fit really well within the provincial TOD guidelines
(200m to 800m from transit, 3FSR, 8 storeys or less).
The challenge will be getting any city to believe that 3 FSR can work on a single lot...
(200m to 800m from transit, 3FSR, 8 storeys or less).
The challenge will be getting any city to believe that 3 FSR can work on a single lot...
April 10, 2025 at 8:44 PM
This should be legal across every neighbourhood in expensive cities like Vancouver and Toronto. Not just near transit.
If Canada's going to reach goals like doubling homebuilding rates or building 3 million homes by 2030, cities can't continue to ban apartments like these on most of the land.
If Canada's going to reach goals like doubling homebuilding rates or building 3 million homes by 2030, cities can't continue to ban apartments like these on most of the land.
Reposted
After being an editor for 6.5 years (4 REStud; 2.5 JEEA), I have accumulated a few suggestions that can help you avoid unnecessary rejections.
April 8, 2025 at 8:03 PM
After being an editor for 6.5 years (4 REStud; 2.5 JEEA), I have accumulated a few suggestions that can help you avoid unnecessary rejections.
Reposted
This, from my colleague
Brent Neiman says it all.
Trump admin used the results from his paper to justify tariff rates. Except they used the completely wrong number.
Staggering 🤯
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/o...
Brent Neiman says it all.
Trump admin used the results from his paper to justify tariff rates. Except they used the completely wrong number.
Staggering 🤯
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/o...
April 7, 2025 at 10:36 AM
This, from my colleague
Brent Neiman says it all.
Trump admin used the results from his paper to justify tariff rates. Except they used the completely wrong number.
Staggering 🤯
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/o...
Brent Neiman says it all.
Trump admin used the results from his paper to justify tariff rates. Except they used the completely wrong number.
Staggering 🤯
www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/o...
Reposted
This is remarkably close to what we had six days ago. The average tariff rate of most European nations was about 1%.
Elon Musk hopes for a “zero-tariff” system between the US and Europe that would effectively create “a free trade zone,” he said on Saturday
Musk Hopes US, Europe Will Move to Zero-Tariff Free-Trade Zone
Elon Musk hopes for a “zero-tariff” system between the US and Europe that would effectively create “a free trade zone,” he said on Saturday, days after levies set by US President Donald Trump sent glo...
www.bloomberg.com
April 5, 2025 at 5:59 PM
This is remarkably close to what we had six days ago. The average tariff rate of most European nations was about 1%.
Reposted
TIL how to download census data (www2.census.gov) super simply.
Finder: Go > Connect to Server > ftp://ftp2.census.gov/. Login as guest and 🤯
Finder: Go > Connect to Server > ftp://ftp2.census.gov/. Login as guest and 🤯
April 5, 2025 at 1:48 PM
TIL how to download census data (www2.census.gov) super simply.
Finder: Go > Connect to Server > ftp://ftp2.census.gov/. Login as guest and 🤯
Finder: Go > Connect to Server > ftp://ftp2.census.gov/. Login as guest and 🤯
Reposted
I'm seeing a huge spike in interest in tariffs from people who normally don't work in the economics of international trade. Here are a few useful things to know about them. (1/14)
April 4, 2025 at 4:33 AM
I'm seeing a huge spike in interest in tariffs from people who normally don't work in the economics of international trade. Here are a few useful things to know about them. (1/14)
Reposted
When whites and minorities drive at identical speeds (according to objectively measured data from Lyft) Florida police are 24-33% more likely to issue speeding citations to minority drivers and charge them 23-34% greater fines.
These are not small effects!
These are not small effects!
April 2, 2025 at 3:08 AM
When whites and minorities drive at identical speeds (according to objectively measured data from Lyft) Florida police are 24-33% more likely to issue speeding citations to minority drivers and charge them 23-34% greater fines.
These are not small effects!
These are not small effects!
Reposted
Today the BC carbon tax has been removed. It's unfortunate that a simple climate policy had become so politicized.
Talk about ironic timing: our paper on the CO2 response to carbon pricing just came out in the April issue of Energy Economics. Hot off the press, cold in the policy grave. #Econsky
Talk about ironic timing: our paper on the CO2 response to carbon pricing just came out in the April issue of Energy Economics. Hot off the press, cold in the policy grave. #Econsky
Carbon pricing and the elasticity of CO2 emissions
Using newly constructed sector-specific carbon price data, we study the response of CO2 emissions to carbon pricing policies for a cross-country panel…
www.sciencedirect.com
April 1, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Today the BC carbon tax has been removed. It's unfortunate that a simple climate policy had become so politicized.
Talk about ironic timing: our paper on the CO2 response to carbon pricing just came out in the April issue of Energy Economics. Hot off the press, cold in the policy grave. #Econsky
Talk about ironic timing: our paper on the CO2 response to carbon pricing just came out in the April issue of Energy Economics. Hot off the press, cold in the policy grave. #Econsky
Reposted
Under a reciprocal tariff system, instead of a universal one, Trump “might very well create a system where tariffs are lowered, not raised,” said Stephen Moore, a first-term Trump senior economic adviser and tariff skeptic.
April 1, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Under a reciprocal tariff system, instead of a universal one, Trump “might very well create a system where tariffs are lowered, not raised,” said Stephen Moore, a first-term Trump senior economic adviser and tariff skeptic.
Reposted
Just switched. Estimated to save a couple hundred a year (I have a heat pump and EV) www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... #bcpoli
Use a heat pump or electric vehicle in B.C.? You might want to change how you get charged for power use | CBC News
B.C. Hydro is now offering flat rate and time-of-day billing options, in addition to its default tiered system.
www.cbc.ca
April 1, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Just switched. Estimated to save a couple hundred a year (I have a heat pump and EV) www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... #bcpoli
Reposted
Started, Going.
The spring Econ 101 course gets more exciting every day.
The spring Econ 101 course gets more exciting every day.
December 23, 2024 at 7:48 PM
Started, Going.
The spring Econ 101 course gets more exciting every day.
The spring Econ 101 course gets more exciting every day.
Reposted
This chart shows corporate profits over the last 20 years, raising the question: Are rising prices mainly due to inflation, or are corporations increasing prices beyond inflation? #econsky
December 25, 2024 at 12:51 AM
This chart shows corporate profits over the last 20 years, raising the question: Are rising prices mainly due to inflation, or are corporations increasing prices beyond inflation? #econsky
Reposted
On Saturday, batteries set a new record in ERCOT, supplying 9% of power on an evening w/ high thermal outages & low wind. Prices spiked to near the max for 5 minutes, 4,300 megawatts of storage surged onto the grid (and demand went down ~2,000 MW) & things went back to normal. (h/t @gridstatus.io
December 17, 2024 at 3:26 AM
On Saturday, batteries set a new record in ERCOT, supplying 9% of power on an evening w/ high thermal outages & low wind. Prices spiked to near the max for 5 minutes, 4,300 megawatts of storage surged onto the grid (and demand went down ~2,000 MW) & things went back to normal. (h/t @gridstatus.io
Reposted
We’re hiring predocs at VSE with a start date of summer 2025. Come work with me on industrial policy and industrialization past and present. Not your thing? A number of my wonderful colleagues are also hiring! Listing is here: economics.ubc.ca/news/pre-doc...
Pre-Doctoral Fellow/Research Technician Opportunities - Vancouver School of Economics
Join the Vancouver School of Economics: Pre-Doctoral Fellow/Research Technician Opportunities The Vancouver School of Economics (VSE) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is excited to announce...
economics.ubc.ca
December 13, 2024 at 11:56 PM
We’re hiring predocs at VSE with a start date of summer 2025. Come work with me on industrial policy and industrialization past and present. Not your thing? A number of my wonderful colleagues are also hiring! Listing is here: economics.ubc.ca/news/pre-doc...