Alicia Sasser Modestino

Here’s why US workers can be optimistic about the next decade

The demand for labor should remain steady as investments in robotics and other high-tech systems lead to new kinds of work. “Automation can have an upside for workers by increasing the quality of jobs,” says Alicia Sasser Modestino, an economist and associate professor at Northeastern.

• by Ian Thomsen   December 23, 2021

Northeastern University wins competitive federal grant to help broaden job opportunities in biotech across New England

The university was selected among a competitive pool of 529 applicants to receive a federal grant as part of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge—a program designed to boost pandemic recovery and rebuild communities across the country.

• by Tanner Stening and Molly Callahan   December 13, 2021

Looking for holiday season deals? Don't forget to check the labor market.

Retailers are hoping that this holiday season will be the best ever—or at least the best one in the last couple years. But to do that, they’ll have to hire a lot of temporary workers, fast, and that means better deals for new hires, says a Northeastern economist.

• by Molly Callahan   November 24, 2021

Is child care funding in Biden’s infrastructure bill vital to restoring the post-pandemic economy?

As Capitol Hill continues to bicker over the definition of infrastructure, two Northeastern economists say affordable child care is key to getting mothers back to work and reversing a loss of 2.4 million women from the workforce.

• by Hillary Chabot   April 12, 2021

When the pandemic put summer jobs at risk in Boston, Northeastern stepped in to help

Every summer, thousands of young Bostonians participate in the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program—a program that connects teens and young adults with a paid internship. But as businesses and organizations temporarily shuttered in the face of COVID-19, officials faced a difficult dilemma: How do you run an internship program from home?

• by Molly Callahan   August 24, 2020

How will the economy bounce back?

How well, and how quickly, state and federal economies recover from the COVID-19 crisis has everything to do with the choices that officials make now, says economist Alicia Sasser Modestino. “The sky is falling, but we might have some ways to put the pieces back together.”

• by Molly Callahan   May 1, 2020

Do women in economics face extra scrutiny?

In the field of economics, seminars are critical to the growth of professionals and the field as a whole. But, new research from associate professor Alicia Sasser Modestino shows that men and women are treated very differently at such seminars.

• by Molly Callahan   January 14, 2020

Seafood processing plants are harsh environments for human workers. They don’t have to be.

Researchers at Northeastern are designing robots to make the seafood processing industry safer and more comfortable for human workers and more efficient and profitable for companies.

• by Laura Castañón   August 28, 2019

People are less likely to enroll in college when the economy is doing well. Why is that?

Northeastern professor Alicia Sasser Modestino, who has conducted studies analyzing the relationship between employer demands and the labor market, says that counter-trends in college enrollment, and especially graduate school enrollment, are par for the course.

• by Khalida Sarwari   August 5, 2019

How bad is the housing crisis in Greater Boston?

There are not enough homes to go around for everyone; homelessness is on the rise; and modern zoning practices continue to perpetuate racial and economic segregation, according to a new study authored by Northeastern professor Alicia Sasser Modestino.

• by Khalida Sarwari   July 30, 2019