Revana Sharfuddin
@R_Sharfuddin_
Labor econ pre doc researcher @mercatus | dev econ @UniFAU | econ @GeorgeMasonU
Sometimes DC moves fast—and that’s worth celebrating. Two months ago, I wrote about making worker training expenses fully deductible. Now I see it in the national AI Action Plan. Businesses know what skills workers need. Let’s give them the tools to invest in people. More soon!
All my favorite economists are coming together to tell us something important about markets and AI.
Yesterday, @Marian_L_Tupy and @PeterBoettke published an excellent op-ed in @WSJopinion making a simple but powerful point: AI can’t replace markets ⚖️🤖 🔗 wsj.com/opinion/algori… One of the most misguided ideas I’ve seen in the past decade is that central planning is (or soon…
And capitalizing the moment of ruination of other people. The flood of ads, influencers leaping at the chance to go viral—it’s honestly chilling.
“Forget about how this impacts people like the CEO and his mistress, garden-variety sinners who, through a combination of terrible luck and atrocious judgment, will be famous, and hated, for the rest of their lives. You don’t have to feel sorry for them (although I admit, I kind…
Immigration policy and public opinion in the U.S. feels like a toxic situationship: “Do you want me in your life right now?” “Yes, you’re great, you contribute.” “Can you offer commitment and stability?” “Whoa, slow down—let’s just chill for a couple of years.”
On immigration, the public is fickle. They want mass deportations, but not for the majority of people who are nonviolent and working. They want to keep immigration levels the same, but also want to make it easier. It's Everything Bagel immigration policy. news.gallup.com/poll/692522/su…
This is incredible. In light of all the pessimistic studies about pairing and fertility there’s new positive evidence. My intuition has always been in more recent cohorts (around my generation) people REALLY try to assess well before they get married.
It looks like new marriages are (shockingly) stronger than in past decades. 🧵
🤝 Major moment on Capitol Hill! @SenBillCassidy joined @MissLiyaP for a discussion on his new legislative package for portable benefits. From caregivers to freelancers, millions of independent workers could gain access to healthcare and retirement savings. Policy progress in…
Look at the filthy billionaires creating a millionaire employee class. 😠
The highest worker salaries in the history of capitalism. i.e. outside of a handful of CEOs and a tiny number of sports stars.
Shocking.
California's $20 fast food minimum wage reduced employment by 3.2 percent (roughly 18,000 jobs) over the first year since its enactment, from @jeffreypclemens, Olivia Edwards, and Jonathan Meer nber.org/papers/w34033
Glad we are analyzing it further. H/T @kylascan & @jburnmurdoch
But, plot twist: The much-discussed contraction in entry-level tech hiring appears to have *reversed* in recent months. In fact, relative to the pre-generative AI era, recent grads have secured coding jobs at the same rate as they’ve found any job, if not slightly higher.
🔥🔥🔥
It's the year of the social sciences hacker. We're about to see leaps in innovation that don't come from engineers. Instead, they'll come from people who've never gotten to build before. I couldn't be more excited about it.
Senator Bill Cassidy has introduced legislation that could reshape how millions of independent workers access benefits. It’s time for Congress to act. | @MissLiyaP trib.al/xlCHBt0
Met Alain during my @mercatus fellowship. I stood with two EU students, feeling the quiet insecurity many Global South researchers carry—will I be talked over due to unrelatability? To my surprise, Alain not only visited Bangladesh—he was in my hometown!! We talked for an hour.
🏗️ The TYI x Alain Bertaud UK Tour The YIMBY initiative were delighted to host Professor Alain Bertaud this week. A Distinguished Visiting Fellow at @mercatus + a Senior Research Scholar at the @NYUMarron, Alain authored "Order without Design: How Markets Shape Cities" (1/8).
This idea has been floated around for a while, and I think is a good one But: I think it would have been better to do this maybe 15-20 years ago before educational polarization became so severe & the center-right collapsed
Thanks @MackinacCenter and Steve Delie for highlighting our research.
In a @WashTimesOpEd op-ed, the Mackinac Center's Steve Delie highlights the recent @UPS layoffs and the @mercatus new report on unions, emphasizing the need for union reforms that empower workers without undermining businesses. washingtontimes.com/news/2025/jul/…