Nicole Hoseini
Nicole Hoseini
Nicole Stephanie Hoseini is a PhD Candidate at York University’s Economics Program. She is also a recipient of the 2022 LA&PS Dissertation Fieldwork Fellowship. Her research interests are in economic growth and development with applications specifically related to transportation infrastructure in lower income countries. Her curiosity lies in better understanding questions of productivity along a diverse set of lenses (selection, misallocation, commercialization) in poorer nations, and the role that changes in transportation costs for goods and commuter costs for individuals play. She is currently working on the role of transportation costs for household farms on facilitating the transformation from subsistence to commercial farming using micro level data and a structural model in Tanzania.
Peter Mackenzie
I am a third-year PhD candidate in Economics at York University. My research focuses on the digital divide in Canada and its relation to the potential introduction of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). In my most recent paper, I analyzed the Canadian internet use survey to identify the factors that determine digital inclusion among Canadians.
Now, I am extending my research to include Canadian firms, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). I believe that the digital inclusion of Canadians is closely related to that of their employers, as many individuals access the internet at work and learn their digital skills from their workplace or school. Therefore, it is essential to understand the level of digital inclusion among SMEs and how it affects their employees.
To achieve this, I will be using the 2021 Canadian Survey of Digital Technology and Internet Use (CDTIU). This survey will help me identify the demographic and economic factors that determine digital inclusion levels among Canadian firms, particularly SMEs. It will also provide a comprehensive assessment of the digital divide in Canada, which has been a significant barrier to accessing online financial services and could potentially hinder the implementation of a CBDC.
My research aims to provide valuable insights into the digital divide in Canada and the potential impact of a CBDC on digital inclusion. I believe that understanding the factors that contribute to digital inclusion is crucial for policymakers and stakeholders in developing strategies to bridge the digital divide and ensure equitable access to financial services for all Canadians.
Peter Mackenzie
Shengyi Zhu
Shengyi Zhu
Shengyi Zhu is a PhD student in Economics at York University. In one project, he used data
from the Labour Force Survey, years 2002 and 2016, to study the impact of selection bias on the
Canadian gender wage gap across income quantiles. The findings of this project suggest that
women with higher earnings potential are negatively selected into the workforce for lower wage
earners. When the impact of selection is taken into account, the gender wage gap would be
greater for all except those in the highest quarter of wage quantiles.
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