Renowned economist Claudia Goldin was awarded the 2023 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, making her the third woman to receive this prestigious accolade in the field of economics. The Nobel committee recognized Goldin's groundbreaking contributions to advancing the understanding of women's labor market outcomes.
The Henry Lee Professorship of Economics at Harvard University, Goldin has a distinguished career as an economic historian and labor economist. Her research encompasses a wide range of critical topics, including the female labor force, gender wage gaps, income inequality, technological change, education, and immigration. Her approach often involves interpreting present challenges through the lens of historical analysis, exploring the roots of contemporary issues.
In her book, "Career & Family: Women's Century-Long Journey toward Equity" (Princeton University Press, 2021), translated into 15 languages, Goldin delves into the historical evolution of women's roles in the workforce. Her extensive body of work, including books like
"Understanding the Gender Gap: An Economic History of American Women" (Oxford, 1990) and "The Race between Education and Technology" (with L. Katz; Belknap Press, 2008, 2010), has earned her widespread acclaim.
Additionally, Goldin's presidency of the American Economic Association in 2013 and the Economic History Association in 1999/2000 attests to her leadership in the field. She is a member of prestigious institutions such as the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and a fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Society of Labor Economists, the Econometric Society, and the Cliometric Society.
Receiving the IZA Prize in Labor Economics in 2016, the Mincer Prize from SOLE in 2009, the 2019 BBVA Frontiers in Knowledge award, and the 2020 Nemmers award underscore Goldin's consistent contributions to labor economics. She also served as the editor of the Journal of Economic History from 1984 to 1988.
The Nobel committee highlighted Goldin's research on women's employment, emphasizing her work on the historical trajectory of women's participation in the job market. Her findings reveal how employment among married women decreased in the 1800s before a resurgence in the 1900s, mirroring shifts in the economy from agriculture to industry and, later, the service sector.
In an interview, Goldin expressed the importance of understanding long-term changes for comprehending the labor market and emphasized that achieving gender equality requires addressing couple equity. As the first woman to be offered tenure in Harvard's economics department in 1989, Goldin has consistently broken barriers and paved the way for future generations of economists.
Her significant impact on the field, both as a researcher and a trailblazer, cements Claudia Goldin's legacy as a key figure in advancing the understanding of women's progress in the workforce, earning her a well-deserved place among Nobel laureates in economics.