Abstract: This paper evaluates the labor market effects of subway systems on low-skilled workers. A simple model of labor supply predicts that access to subway services can decrease transportation costs and improve labor force participation, but has ambiguous effects on the intensive margin of labor market outcomes. Empirical estimates from US cities show that a 10% expansion in subway miles increases the labor force participation of low-skilled individuals without a car by eight percentage points. However, subway expansions have no significant effect on the labor force participation of low-skilled individuals who own automobiles or on high-skilled workers. In contrast, expansions of light rails and buses have no significant effect on the labor market outcomes of low-skilled individuals. Improved subway services do not affect wages, hours worked, and commuting times, suggesting that the labor market benefits of subways mainly lie in the extensive margin of labor supply.

Keywords：Subway；Public transit；Employment；Labor force participation；Labor supply

该文2024年1月发表于人口经济学顶级期刊Journal of Population Economics，该期刊为武汉大学经济与管理学院学术期刊分级方案B+级奖励期刊。

原文链接：https://doi.org/10.1007/s00148-024-00995-z