Subscribe
“Love thy neighbor” is preached from many a pulpit. But new research from UC Berkeley suggests the devoutly religious are less motivated by compassion when helping a stranger than are atheists, agnostics and less religious people.
Business & economics archive
Nobel winners in economics share a UC Berkeley past
October 10, 2011:
This year’s two winners of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences both studied at UC Berkeley, where they are being praised by colleagues for their work in macroeconometrics and macroeconomic theory.
Wall Street protests echo researcher’s findings on growing income gap
October 7, 2011: Emmanuel Saez, a UC Berkeley economist, received a 2010 MacArthur “genius” award for his research on the growing income gains of super-wealthy American households and the parallel income erosion of the other 99 percent of the nation. In a Q & A, Saez talks about the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, in light of his work.
Grim retirement picture projected for California
October 3, 2011: Nearly half of California workers will retire in or near poverty, according to a new study by UC Berkeley’s Center for Labor Research and Education. The authors found that retirees across the state rely overwhelmingly on Social Security income, a trend that could worsen as future workers retire without employer-sponsored benefits.
UC generates $46.3 billion in economic activity for state, study says
September 14, 2011: The University of California is a key economic catalyst for the state, annually generating more than $46 billion to economic activity for California, according to an independent economic impact report released Sept. 14.
With streamlined regulations, in-law units could boost East Bay affordable housing stock and economy, study finds
September 13, 2011: In-law units could provide needed affordable housing and boost the economies of five East Bay communities, according to a new UC Berkeley study that recommends adjusting local regulations so that can happen.
Twitter’s Biz Stone joins Haas School of Business as executive fellow
August 23, 2011: Twitter co-founder and serial entrepreneur Biz Stone will share his experiences and insights with the Haas School as the school’s fourth executive fellow, a position in which respected executives and thought leaders advise the dean, faculty and staff.
Chamberlin Fund launches exploration of online education for Berkeley professional schools, extension program
August 16, 2011: Highly qualified students from around the world could have greater access to programs at the University of California, Berkeley professional schools and through UC Berkeley Extension, thanks to $1 million from the Chamberlin Family Donor Designated Fund at the University of California, Berkeley Foundation.
Treasury official who spotted $2 trillion error is recent economics Ph.D.
August 10, 2011: John Bellows may not have the household-name recognition of Timothy Geithner, Ben Bernanke or Christina Romer. But the U.S. Treasury Department’s acting assistant secretary has generated widespread buzz in finance and policy circles since finding a $2 trillion error in the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) calculations it used to support a historic decision to downgrade the nation’s credit rating.
How child care strengthens California’s economy
August 9, 2011: Daycare and preschools are important not only to children and their families, they boost California’s economy as a whole, according to new research from UC Berkeley’s Labor Center. One tidbit from the report: Every dollar spent on early care and education yields $2 in economic output.
Time to buy? Berkeley’s Rosen sees promise in housing market 
August 5, 2011: Housing affordability is at its best level in 30 years, according to Ken Rosen of UC Berkeley’s Fisher Center for Real Estate, who tells MarketWatch that now is the time to buy and that mortgage rates will be much higher in five years.
Haas professors find new “Basel III” banking standards offer mortgage reform lessons for U.S.
July 11, 2011:
The new regulatory banking standards called “Basel III” slightly decrease but do not eliminate systemic risk in the banking system, according to research by Haas School of Business professors Dwight Jaffee and Johan Walden.
Obama to name Rosemary Joyce to cultural property committee
July 10, 2011: President Obama on Friday announced his intent to appoint UC Berkeley anthropologist Rosemary Joyce to the Cultural Property Advisory Committee, which helps the U.S. State Department respond to requests from other nations for the protection of their cultural heritage.
Labor Center study says NLRB process delays union elections
June 29, 2011: A study released by the University of California, Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education has found that current National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) procedures, which grant employers significant control over the timing of the election process, can interfere with employees exercising their free choice to have union representation.
Slaying the dragon of debt
June 27, 2011: This project on U.S. fiscal politics and policies, produced by the Bancroft Library’s Regional Oral History Office, recently released new interviews with former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu.
Borenstein explores U.S. airlines’ persistent profit losses
June 23, 2011: Severin Borenstein of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and director of the UC Energy Institute, explores the key reasons for the nagging profit losses for U.S. airlines in the July issue of the National Bureau of Economic Research Digest and reports findings that counter much of the conventional wisdom.
Buying the same stock — again
May 31, 2011: Haas professor Terrance Odean, who studies behavioral finance, finds that trading patterns involving previously owned stock are driven by a desire to avoid or at least limit anticipated regret.
Haas MBAs bury Stanford in Golden Shovel competition
May 11, 2011: The Golden Shovel—the gleaming victory trophy for winning the NAIOP Real Estate Challenge—will reside at the Haas Graduate School of Business for the fourth year in a row, after a Berkeley MBA team defeated Stanford in the annual regional challenge May 4.
High-speed rail conference May 2-3
April 27, 2011:
Top national and international researchers, business leaders, policy practitioners and experts will gather on the UC Berkeley campus for a Center for Environmental Public Policy forum May 2-3 to discuss the economic, environmental and urban development considerations of bringing high-speed rail to California.
MBA students, Haas School faculty win sustainability research grants
April 22, 2011:
The Haas School of Business’s Center for Responsible Business made an Earth Day announcement today (Friday, April 22) that several MBA students and Haas School faculty have won research grants to work on innovative sustainability projects dealing with reinforcing friends’ healthy habits to green supply chains and clean water.
Law students file brief in high-profile copyright case
April 18, 2011: Students and faculty involved in Berkeley Law’s technology clinic filed an amicus brief April 14 in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York. The lawsuit in question is one of the most closely watched online copyright cases, in which media giant Viacom is suing Google-owned YouTube for $1 billion in damages.
Hiring surge to bring more recruiters to campus job fair
April 18, 2011: If the throng of recruiters expected at this week’s pre-graduation job fair at UC Berkeley is any indication, students ready to enter the job market have good reason to be optimistic. From startups to government agencies to major corporations, more employers are on the lookout for entry-level job and internship candidates.
Walmart ‘living-wage’ standards would barely impact shoppers, study finds
April 18, 2011: If Walmart were to institute a $12 per hour minimum wage for its workforce, it would provide substantial benefits to low-income employees, while retail prices to pay for it could be dispersed among millions of consumers across the income spectrum, says a new study from the UC Berkeley Labor Center.
Deloitte offers to turn QB3 into “innovation ecosystem”
April 15, 2011: The California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), which has branches at UC Berkeley, UCSF and UC Santa Cruz, will work with Deloitte to improve the institute’s efforts to convert bioscience innovation into a driver for jobs, companies and improved health in California.
Latino preschool enrollment drop could widen achievement gaps, hurt workforce quality, study says
April 8, 2011:
The percentage of Latino children attending preschool fell substantially during the nation’s deep recession, according to a study to be released April 8 by researchers from UC Berkeley.
Taylor named one of 40 best young business profs
April 7, 2011: The MBA website Poets & Quants has named Terry Taylor, a faculty member at Berkeley’s Haas School, among the 40 top business professors under 40.
Robert Reich on the state of California
April 1, 2011: BERKELEY — Robert Reich, Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy, was joined today (Friday, April 1) by several California legislators at a round table discussion of the federal and state economies. State senators Loni Hancock, Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Board of Equalization member Betty Yee, and other notable state representatives were invited [...]
Aspiring entrepreneurs to compete for funds, global savvy at campus seminar
March 31, 2011: Entrepreneurship in the Global Marketplace, a seminar and competition at UC Berkeley on April 5, will feature talks about trends, tools and resources applicable to aspiring entrepreneurs, followed by a student venture competition.
Report says green economy producing jobs, but urges work quality improvement
March 17, 2011:
To achieve the state’s energy efficiency goals and provide better career opportunities for Californians, the state should modify its clean energy programs and its extensive but fragmented training and education programs, according to a report led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, released today (Thursday, March 17).
Slaying the dragon of debt: Officials’ oral histories tell the political backstory
March 11, 2011: Federal officials who have played a key role in shaping the nation’s fiscal affairs share their insights on a new website titled “Slaying the Dragon of Debt.” Launched by the Bancroft Library’s Regional Oral History Office, the site features interviews and other resources aimed at aiding scholars and informing public debate.
Business students’ NextDrop project keeps on winning
March 9, 2011: On the heels of winning one international mobile app prize, Haas students’ NextDrop project won the Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition. The project — which addresses the challenge of unreliable piped water in developing countries — was awarded a $10,000 prize.
