Robert Metcalfe
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rmetcalfe.bsky.social
Robert Metcalfe
@rmetcalfe.bsky.social
Economist, Prof at Columbia University.

Chief Economist: Centre for Net Zero (Octopus Energy Group).

Co-editor: Journal of Public Economics.

1st gen, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

https://www.rmetcalfe.net/
Reposted by Robert Metcalfe
1. Schedule unpredictability means you don't work full time, but can't fill the other hours.

Avg hours worked per year in hospitality is 26, compared to 35-40 in most other industries.

But workers can't fill the spare hours with another job as they don't know when they'll be scheduled to work.
November 25, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by Robert Metcalfe
Hannah also finds a tradeoff between schedule unpredictability and wages: when the minimum wage is increased, scheduling unpredictability increases too.

Suggests another margin that firms are able to cut costs on when minimum wages increase.

(parallels with our work on workplace injuries).
November 25, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by Robert Metcalfe
2. Firms pass demand risk onto workers: Hannah shows that on bad-weather days (when fewer people come to buy things from these retail & hospitality businesses), there are more last-minute shift cancellations.

In most jobs, the firm bears the risk of demand shocks unless extreme (-> layoffs).
November 25, 2025 at 5:03 PM
The first year is the Columbia Econ sequence, but the second and third years are a lot more flexible, allowing the freedom to pursue ideas that might not necessarily be in the Econ wheelhouse. Abundant space for creativity!
November 17, 2025 at 7:27 PM
We admit 5-6 students per year into a tight knit community. The placement in the past has been outstanding, and the alumni of the program is a huge added benefit.
November 17, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Second is Hayeon Jeong.
JMP: Does Greater Policy Intensity Improve Policy
effectiveness? Evidence from Seoul, South Korea
Website: sites.google.com/view/hayeonj...
Interests: Environmental Econ, Behavioral Econ
November 5, 2025 at 11:13 PM
The first is Hannah Farkas.
JMP: "The Economic Incidence of Schedule Unpredictability in Hourly Work"
Website: hannahfarkas.github.io
Interests: Environmental Econ, Labor Econ
November 5, 2025 at 11:13 PM