Welcome to the Applied Microeconomics Cluster at the University of St Andrews

The research of the Applied Microeconomics Cluster comprises all areas of applied microeconomics, including labor, development, health, public finance, education, immigration, and economic history.  Its members publish frequently in top economics journals, present in conferences around the world, are members of international research networks, and hold editorial positions at several journals.  

News

• Welcome to the newest member of the Applied Microeconomics Cluster, Dr Emma Duchini!  Emma joins St Andrews as a Senior Lecturer from the University of Essex.
• The University of St Andrews Master of Public Policy programme, directed by Professor David Jaeger, will begin on 20 August 2026 with a cohort of 28 students from around the world.
• Congratulations to Dr Francesca Chiaradia, who successfully defended her dissertation (no revisions), “Essays on Laws, Norms, and Innovation,” with Professor Nils Braakmann (Newcastle) and Dr Irina Merkurieva as her examiners.  Francesca will be a postdoctoral researcher at the El-Erian Institute of Behavioural Economics and Policy at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
• Professor David Jaeger became the President of the European Society for Population Economics at ESPE’s annual meeting in Helsinki on 11-13 June 2026.  He served as the programme chair for the meeting in Helsinki and will deliver the Presidential Address at ESPE’s annual meeting in Zagreb on 17-19 June 2027.
• The Fifth Annual Scotland and Northern England Conference on Applied Microeconomics took place from 5 to 7 May 2026 at the Crieff Hydro Hotel. Professor Stephen Machin from the London School of Economics gave the keynote.  

Upcoming Events

• The Sixth Annual Scotland and Northern England Conference on Applied Microeconomics will take place from 4 to 6 May 2026 at the Crieff Hydro Hotel.  More information and a call for papers will be posted soon.

Recent Publications and Working Papers

• Jaeger, D. A. (2026) ““Robustness? Range Tests for Equivalence and Equality Across Multiple Specifications,” CEPR Discussion Paper 21082, July.

• Escamilla-Guerrero, D. and G. Peri (2026) “The Short- and Long-run Effects of Railroads on Mexico-US Migration,” NBER Working paper 35358, June.

• Escamilla-Guerrero, D., A. Papadia, and A. Zimran, (2026) “The Effects of Immigration on Agricultural Development: Brazil in the Age of Mass Migration,” Journal of Development Economics, 183 (2026):103861

• Leighton, M. and Merkurieva, I. (2025) “Childhood Aspirations and Adult Outcomes,” Economics Discussion Paper 2505, December.

• Muttamba, M., O’Hare, B., Ramsay, A., Saxena, V., Kirenga, B., and Sabiiti, W. (2025) “A Laboratory-focussed Desk Review of Health Systems in Uganda, Kenya, and the UK to Respond to Current and Future Pandemics,” Journal of Global Health 15:04194.

• Escamilla-Guerrero, D., Kosack, E., & Ward, Z. (2025) “The Impact of Violence on the Dynamics of Migration: Evidence from the Mexican Revolution,” Journal of Development Economics, 176, 103515.

• Leighton. M. and J. D. Speer (2025) “Family Background and College Major Choice: Evidence on Major Earnings Growth,” Education Finance and Policy, 2025.

Past Events

• The First Annual Fife Applied Microeconomics and Golf Conference was held on 2-4 June 2025 at the Crail Golfing Society. The program for the conference is here.
• The Fourth Annual Scotland and Northern England Conference in Applied Microeconomics was held on 6-8 May 2025 at Crieff Hydro Hotel.  Professor Ludovia Gazzè (Warwick) delivered the keynote address.  The program for the conference is here.