Details about Melissa Schettini Kearney

Workplace:

Department of Economics, University of Notre Dame, (more information at EDIRC)

Access statistics for papers by Melissa Schettini Kearney.

Last updated 2025-06-20. Update your information in the RePEc Author Service.

Short-id: pke151

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Working Papers

2025

1. Did the Modern Mortgage Set the Stage for the U.S. Baby Boom?
   NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc
2. Why Is Fertility So Low in High Income Countries?
   NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

2023

3. The Cyclicality of Births and Babies’ Health, Revisited: Evidence from Unemployment Insurance
   NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (3)

2022

4. The US COVID-19 Baby Bust and Rebound
   NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (3)
   See also Journal Article The US COVID-19 baby bust and rebound, Journal of Population Economics, Springer (2023) View citations (2) (2023)
5. The “College Gap” in Marriage and Children’s Family Structure
   NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

2021

6. Disability Insurance in the Great Recession: Ease of Access, Program Enrollment, and Local Hysteresis
   NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (2)
   See also Journal Article Disability Insurance in the Great Recession: Ease of Access, Program Enrollment, and Local Hysteresis, AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association (2021) View citations (3) (2021)
7. The Puzzle of Falling US Birth Rates Since the Great Recession
   NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (1)
   See also Journal Article The Puzzle of Falling US Birth Rates since the Great Recession, Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association (2022) (2022)
8. The Role of Childcare Challenges in the US Jobs Market Recovery During the COVID-19 Pandemic
   NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (20)
   Also in Working Paper Series, Peterson Institute for International Economics (2021) View citations (19)

2020

9. College Attainment, Income Inequality, and Economic Security: A Simulation Exercise
   Upjohn Working Papers, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research View citations (5)
   Also in NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc (2020) View citations (5)
   See also Journal Article College Attainment, Income Inequality, and Economic Security: A Simulation Exercise, AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association (2020) View citations (6) (2020)
10. Comprehensive Approaches to Increasing Student Completion in Higher Education: A Survey of the Landscape
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (4)

2018

11. Explaining the Decline in the U.S. Employment-to-Population Ratio: a Review of the Evidence
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (37)
    See also Journal Article Explaining the Decline in the US Employment-to-Population Ratio: A Review of the Evidence, Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association (2020) View citations (58) (2020)

2017

12. Increasing Community College Completion Rates among Low-Income Students: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluation of a Case Management Intervention
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (16)
    See also Journal Article Increasing Community College Completion Rates Among Low‐Income Students: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluation of a Case‐Management Intervention, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (2020) View citations (9) (2020)
13. Male Earnings, Marriageable Men, and Nonmarital Fertility: Evidence from the Fracking Boom
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (45)
    See also Journal Article Male Earnings, Marriageable Men, and Nonmarital Fertility: Evidence from the Fracking Boom, The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press (2018) View citations (98) (2018)
14. The Economics of Non-Marital Childbearing and The “Marriage Premium for Children”
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc
    See also Journal Article The Economics of Nonmarital Childbearing and the Marriage Premium for Children, Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews (2017) View citations (4) (2017)

2016

15. Does Reality TV Induce Real Effects? A Response to Jaeger, Joyce, and Kaestner (2016)
    IZA Discussion Papers, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) View citations (4)

2015

16. Early Childhood Education by MOOC: Lessons from Sesame Street
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (12)
17. The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (8)

2014

18. Income Inequality, Social Mobility, and the Decision to Drop Out of High School
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (25)
    See also Journal Article Income Inequality, Social Mobility, and the Decision to Drop Out of High School, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution (2016) View citations (36) (2016)
19. Media Influences on Social Outcomes: The Impact of MTV's 16 and Pregnant on Teen Childbearing
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (38)
    See also Journal Article Media Influences on Social Outcomes: The Impact of MTV's 16 and Pregnant on Teen Childbearing, American Economic Review, American Economic Association (2015) View citations (132) (2015)

2013

20. Do Lottery Payments Induce Savings Behavior: Evidence from the Lab
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (2)
    See also Journal Article Do lottery payments induce savings behavior? Evidence from the lab, Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier (2015) View citations (23) (2015)

2012

21. Explaining Recent Trends in the U.S. Teen Birth Rate
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (11)
22. Why is the Teen Birth Rate in the United States so High and Why Does it Matter?
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (100)
    See also Journal Article Why Is the Teen Birth Rate in the United States So High and Why Does It Matter?, Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association (2012) View citations (99) (2012)

2011

23. House Prices and Birth Rates: The Impact of the Real Estate Market on the Decision to Have a Baby
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (24)
    See also Journal Article House prices and birth rates: The impact of the real estate market on the decision to have a baby, Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier (2014) View citations (134) (2014)
24. Income Inequality and Early Non-Marital Childbearing: An Economic Exploration of the "Culture of Despair"
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (9)

2010

25. Making Savers Winners: An Overview of Prize-Linked Savings Products
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (17)

2009

26. Is Lottery Gambling Addictive?
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (2)
    See also Journal Article Is Lottery Gambling Addictive?, American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association (2010) View citations (14) (2010)
27. Product Recalls, Imperfect Information, and Spillover Effects: Lessons from the Consumer Response to the 2007 Toy Recalls
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (7)
    See also Journal Article Product Recalls, Imperfect Information, and Spillover Effects: Lessons from the Consumer Response to the 2007 Toy Recalls, The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press (2012) View citations (75) (2012)

2008

28. Parental Education and Parental Time With Children
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (548)
    See also Journal Article Parental Education and Parental Time with Children, Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association (2008) View citations (540) (2008)

2007

29. Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Early Childbearing
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (7)
    See also Chapter Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Early Childbearing, NBER Chapters, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc (2007) View citations (7) (2007)
30. Subsidized Contraception, Fertility, and Sexual Behavior
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (3)
    See also Journal Article Subsidized Contraception, Fertility, and Sexual Behavior, The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press (2009) View citations (78) (2009)

2006

31. The Polarization of the U.S. Labor Market
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (505)
    See also Journal Article The Polarization of the U.S. Labor Market, American Economic Review, American Economic Association (2006) View citations (526) (2006)

2005

32. Lucky Stores, Gambling, and Addiction: Empirical Evidence from State Lottery Sales
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (3)
33. Rising Wage Inequality: The Role of Composition and Prices
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (172)
    Also in Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research (2005) View citations (133)
34. The Economic Winners and Losers of Legalized Gambling
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (24)
    See also Journal Article The Economic Winners and Losers of Legalized Gambling, National Tax Journal, National Tax Association (2005) View citations (24) (2005)
35. The Impact of Child SSI Enrollment on Household Outcomes: Evidence from the Survey of Income and Program Participation
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (7)
36. Trends in U. S. Wage Inequality: Re-Assessing the Revisionists
    Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research View citations (81)
    Also in NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc (2005) View citations (118)

2002

37. Is There an Effect of Incremental Welfare Benefits on Fertility Behavior? A Look at the Family Cap
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (24)
    See also Journal Article Is There an Effect of Incremental Welfare Benefits on Fertility Behavior?: A Look at the Family Cap, Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press (2004) View citations (72) (2004)
38. State Lotteries and Consumer Behavior
    NBER Working Papers, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc View citations (11)
    See also Journal Article State lotteries and consumer behavior, Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier (2005) View citations (73) (2005)

Journal Articles

2023

1. The US COVID-19 baby bust and rebound
   Journal of Population Economics, 2023, 36, (4), 2145-2168 View citations (2)
   See also Working Paper The US COVID-19 Baby Bust and Rebound, NBER Working Papers (2022) View citations (3) (2022)
2. The future of family-friendly policies
   Business Economics, 2023, 58, (3), 139-148

2022

3. The Puzzle of Falling US Birth Rates since the Great Recession
   Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2022, 36, (1), 151-76
   See also Working Paper The Puzzle of Falling US Birth Rates Since the Great Recession, NBER Working Papers (2021) View citations (1) (2021)
4. What does critical thinking mean in teaching economics?
   The Journal of Economic Education, 2022, 53, (1), 85-87

2021

5. Disability Insurance in the Great Recession: Ease of Access, Program Enrollment, and Local Hysteresis
   AEA Papers and Proceedings, 2021, 111, 486-90 View citations (3)
   See also Working Paper Disability Insurance in the Great Recession: Ease of Access, Program Enrollment, and Local Hysteresis, NBER Working Papers (2021) View citations (2) (2021)

2020

6. College Attainment, Income Inequality, and Economic Security: A Simulation Exercise
   AEA Papers and Proceedings, 2020, 110, 352-55 View citations (6)
   See also Working Paper College Attainment, Income Inequality, and Economic Security: A Simulation Exercise, Upjohn Working Papers (2020) View citations (5) (2020)
7. Explaining the Decline in the US Employment-to-Population Ratio: A Review of the Evidence
   Journal of Economic Literature, 2020, 58, (3), 585-643 View citations (58)
   See also Working Paper Explaining the Decline in the U.S. Employment-to-Population Ratio: a Review of the Evidence, NBER Working Papers (2018) View citations (37) (2018)
8. Increasing Community College Completion Rates Among Low‐Income Students: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluation of a Case‐Management Intervention
   Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2020, 39, (4), 930-965 View citations (9)
   See also Working Paper Increasing Community College Completion Rates among Low-Income Students: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluation of a Case Management Intervention, NBER Working Papers (2017) View citations (16) (2017)

2019

9. A Cautionary Tale about Emergency Financial Assistance without Services: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluation at a Community College
   AEA Papers and Proceedings, 2019, 109, 218-22 View citations (2)
10. Early Childhood Education by Television: Lessons from Sesame Street
    American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2019, 11, (1), 318-50 View citations (27)
11. How economic inequality shapes mobility expectations and behaviour in disadvantaged youth
    Nature Human Behaviour, 2019, 3, (3), 214-220 View citations (6)

2018

12. Male Earnings, Marriageable Men, and Nonmarital Fertility: Evidence from the Fracking Boom
    The Review of Economics and Statistics, 2018, 100, (4), 678-690 View citations (98)
    See also Working Paper Male Earnings, Marriageable Men, and Nonmarital Fertility: Evidence from the Fracking Boom, NBER Working Papers (2017) View citations (45) (2017)

2017

13. The Economics of Nonmarital Childbearing and the Marriage Premium for Children
    Annual Review of Economics, 2017, 9, (1), 327-352 View citations (4)
    See also Working Paper The Economics of Non-Marital Childbearing and The “Marriage Premium for Children”, NBER Working Papers (2017) (2017)

2016

14. Income Inequality, Social Mobility, and the Decision to Drop Out of High School
    Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 2016, 47, (1 (Spring)), 333-396 View citations (36)
    See also Working Paper Income Inequality, Social Mobility, and the Decision to Drop Out of High School, NBER Working Papers (2014) View citations (25) (2014)

2015

15. Do lottery payments induce savings behavior? Evidence from the lab
    Journal of Public Economics, 2015, 126, (C), 1-24 View citations (23)
    See also Working Paper Do Lottery Payments Induce Savings Behavior: Evidence from the Lab, NBER Working Papers (2013) View citations (2) (2013)
16. Investigating recent trends in the U.S. teen birth rate
    Journal of Health Economics, 2015, 41, (C), 15-29 View citations (32)
17. Media Influences on Social Outcomes: The Impact of MTV's 16 and Pregnant on Teen Childbearing
    American Economic Review, 2015, 105, (12), 3597-3632 View citations (132)
    See also Working Paper Media Influences on Social Outcomes: The Impact of MTV's 16 and Pregnant on Teen Childbearing, NBER Working Papers (2014) View citations (38) (2014)

2014

18. House prices and birth rates: The impact of the real estate market on the decision to have a baby
    Journal of Public Economics, 2014, 110, (C), 82-100 View citations (134)
    See also Working Paper House Prices and Birth Rates: The Impact of the Real Estate Market on the Decision to Have a Baby, NBER Working Papers (2011) View citations (24) (2011)
19. Income Inequality and Early Nonmarital Childbearing
    Journal of Human Resources, 2014, 49, (1), 1-31 View citations (50)

2012

20. Product Recalls, Imperfect Information, and Spillover Effects: Lessons from the Consumer Response to the 2007 Toy Recalls
    The Review of Economics and Statistics, 2012, 94, (2), 499-516 View citations (75)
    See also Working Paper Product Recalls, Imperfect Information, and Spillover Effects: Lessons from the Consumer Response to the 2007 Toy Recalls, NBER Working Papers (2009) View citations (7) (2009)
21. Why Is the Teen Birth Rate in the United States So High and Why Does It Matter?
    Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2012, 26, (2), 141-63 View citations (99)
    See also Working Paper Why is the Teen Birth Rate in the United States so High and Why Does it Matter?, NBER Working Papers (2012) View citations (100) (2012)

2010

22. Is Lottery Gambling Addictive?
    American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2010, 2, (3), 90-110 View citations (14)
    See also Working Paper Is Lottery Gambling Addictive?, NBER Working Papers (2009) View citations (2) (2009)

2009

23. Award given by the Vernon Prize Committee for Volume 26 of JPAM
    Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2009, 28, (2), 328-328
24. Subsidized Contraception, Fertility, and Sexual Behavior
    The Review of Economics and Statistics, 2009, 91, (1), 137-151 View citations (78)
    See also Working Paper Subsidized Contraception, Fertility, and Sexual Behavior, NBER Working Papers (2007) View citations (3) (2007)

2008

25. Gambling at Lucky Stores: Empirical Evidence from State Lottery Sales
    American Economic Review, 2008, 98, (1), 458-73 View citations (70)
26. Parental Education and Parental Time with Children
    Journal of Economic Perspectives, 2008, 22, (3), 23-46 View citations (540)
    See also Working Paper Parental Education and Parental Time With Children, NBER Working Papers (2008) View citations (548) (2008)
27. Trends in U.S. Wage Inequality: Revising the Revisionists
    The Review of Economics and Statistics, 2008, 90, (2), 300-323 View citations (987)

2007

28. The impact of child SSI enrollment on household outcomes
    Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 2007, 26, (4), 861-886 View citations (21)

2006

29. The Polarization of the U.S. Labor Market
    American Economic Review, 2006, 96, (2), 189-194 View citations (526)
    See also Working Paper The Polarization of the U.S. Labor Market, NBER Working Papers (2006) View citations (505) (2006)

2005

30. State lotteries and consumer behavior
    Journal of Public Economics, 2005, 89, (11-12), 2269-2299 View citations (73)
    See also Working Paper State Lotteries and Consumer Behavior, NBER Working Papers (2002) View citations (11) (2002)
31. The Economic Winners and Losers of Legalized Gambling
    National Tax Journal, 2005, 58, (2), 281-302 View citations (24)
    See also Working Paper The Economic Winners and Losers of Legalized Gambling, NBER Working Papers (2005) View citations (24) (2005)

2004

32. Is There an Effect of Incremental Welfare Benefits on Fertility Behavior?: A Look at the Family Cap
    Journal of Human Resources, 2004, 39, (2) View citations (72)
    See also Working Paper Is There an Effect of Incremental Welfare Benefits on Fertility Behavior? A Look at the Family Cap, NBER Working Papers (2002) View citations (24) (2002)

Books

2023

1. The Two-Parent Privilege
   (The Two-Parent Privilege)
   University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press View citations (3)

Chapters

2015

1. The Supplemental Security Income Program
   A chapter in Economics of Means-Tested Transfer Programs in the United States, Volume 2, 2015, pp 1-58 View citations (13)

2010

2. Teen Pregnancy Prevention
   A chapter in Targeting Investments in Children: Fighting Poverty When Resources Are Limited, 2010, pp 221-247 View citations (3)

2007

3. Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Early Childbearing
   A chapter in The Problems of Disadvantaged Youth: An Economic Perspective, 2007, pp 181-209 View citations (7)
   See also Working Paper Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Early Childbearing, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc (2007) View citations (7) (2007)