Julian Aramburu

Julian Aramburu

Economist

Amazon

Welcome to my website!

I recently joined Amazon as an Economist. I obtained my Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University in May 2022.

In my academic work, I study the effects of labor market policies on workers from underrepresented groups. In one of my projects, I analyze how the most widespread employer-based affirmative action regulation in the U.S. impacts the employment prospects and earnings of minority workers. In another project, I partner with The World Bank to implement a randomized control trial to study the effectiveness of coding bootcamps for women.

Before joining Yale, I worked for three years as an impact evaluation consultant in the Rural Development unit at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB).

Interests

  • Applied Economics
  • Labor
  • Development
  • Agricultural Economics

Education

  • Ph.D. in Economics, 2022

    Yale University

  • M.Phil. in Economics, 2018

    Yale University

  • M.S. in Economics, 2012

    Universidad de San Andres

  • B.S. in Economics, 2011

    Universidad de Buenos Aires

Work in Progress

The Effect of Affirmative Action on Workers' Outcomes

We study the primary employment-based affirmative action regulation in the U.S.: Executive Order 11246. In particular, we estimate the causal effects of the regulation on workers’ earnings and future employment prospects. We do so by exploiting different features specified by the policy in a regression discontinuity setting. The project circumvents prior data limitations by constructing the first large-scale administrative database containing worker-level information (from the restricted access matched employer-employee LEHD data) together with the federal contractor status of their employers (from EEOC Data and Federal Procurement Data). Motivated by our empirical findings, we develop a theoretical model in order to identify the different mechanisms through which the policy operates. Our results may suggest important margins to consider when designing policies to address racial inequalities.

Coding Bootcamps for Female Digital Employment: Evidence from an RCT in Argentina and Colombia

This paper evaluates the short-term causal effects of a high-quality, intensive, part-time computer coding bootcamp for women on skill acquisition and employment outcomes. Spots were offered in an oversubscribed coding course to a random subset of applicants in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Bogota, Colombia. The applicants who were chosen received a scholarship that covered most of the tuition costs of the course. Follow-up data collected shortly after the bootcamp ended indicate that the program increased participants’ coding skills, as well as their probability of finding a job in technology. Compared with other jobs, technology jobs are more likely to offer flexible hours and work-from-home arrangements, and generate higher job satisfaction. These results are interpreted as an improvement in overall job quality. Moreover, the paper compares the employment situation of the sample before and during the first months of the COVID-19 outbreak. The evidence indicates that the program increased participants’ resilience to a downturn in the labor market.

Direct and Spillover Effects of Agricultural Technology Adoption Programs: Experimental Evidence from the Dominican Republic

This paper estimates the impact of an agricultural technology adoption program on production and income using an experimental approach. We exploit a two-stage randomized experiment conducted at the geographic- and farmer-level to measure both direct and spillover effects of technology adoption. We find different patterns of adoption and significant impacts on production-related outcomes. The assessment of indirect effects validate the hypotheses that knowledge spillovers might take place among farmers in close proximity to program beneficiaries, especially through social networks.

Publications

(2020). Sweeping the Flies Away: Evidence from a Fruit Fly Eradication Program. European Review of Agricultural Economics.

Article

(2016). Sowing for Food Security: A Case Study of Smallholder Farmers in Bolivia. Food Policy.

Article

Teaching

@ Yale

  • Intermediate Microeconomics (TA - Undergrad) - Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Spring 2020
    • Average score received in students evaluations: 4.8/5 (average for Economics TAs: 4.0/5)

@ Universidad de Buenos Aires

  • Mathematics and Economics III (Lecturer - Undergrad) - 2008 to 2012
  • Econometrics II (TA - Undergrad) - 2010 to 2011
  • Advanced Microeconomics (TA - Undergrad) - 2011 to 2012
  • Intermediate Microeconomics (Lecturer - Undergrad) - 2011 to 2012

Vitae

Click here to see my CV.

If you are interested in a summary of my work experience, please visit my LinkedIn profile or email me to request a copy of my resume.

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