Research Bio
Jeremy Magruder is a development economist whose research investigates agriculture, labor markets, social networks, and public policy in low-income countries. Magruder’s work integrates field experiments, econometrics, and applied microeconomics to evaluate interventions designed to increase productivity, improve access to jobs, and reduce poverty. His research contributes to understanding how information, institutions, and policy shape development outcomes.
He is George W. and Elsie M. Robinson Professor of Food and Agricultural Resource Economics at UC Berkeley and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His work has been published in American Economic Review, the AEJ: Applied Economics, and the Economic Journal . Magruder has received NSF support and recognition for methodological innovation in development economics. At Berkeley, he teaches development economics and applied econometrics, mentoring students in applied microeconomic research.
Research Expertise and Interest
development economics, agriculture in developing countries, labor markets, social networks in developing countries
In the News
Crowd-sourced online reviews help fill restaurant seats, study finds
A new study by UC Berkeley economists analyzed restaurant ratings on Yelp.com and found that, on a scale of 1 to 5, a half-star rating increase translates into a 19 percent greater likelihood that an eatery’s seats will be full during peak dining times. The study, published this month in the Economic Journal, found that the increase is independent of changes in price or in food and service quality.