About Me

My name is Ezra Goldstein. I am a PhD Candidate in Economics and L. Charles Hilton Jr. Center Fellow at Florida State University. I am currently on the 2021-2022 job market.

I am an applied microeconomist working on topics related to child welfare, the economics of the family, and economic history.

My current research focuses on how family structure impacts the long-run outcomes of children and on racial disparities in the child welfare system.

My job market paper focuses on the long-run effects of parental loss during early childhood. I combine linked U.S. Census data with a novel identification strategy that yields quasi-random variation in parental mortality due to historical mining accidents. I find that sons who lost their fathers during early childhood experienced a substantial loss of income during adulthood relative to sons of non-fatal accident victims. Most of the estimated earnings penalty can be attributed to differences in employment. Specifically, bereaved sons are more likely to be out of work, report unemployment assistance, and work fewer weeks.

The second chapter of my dissertation examines the sources of over-representation of Black children in foster care systems and the effectiveness of one popular program in reducing racial disparities in child welfare.  Finally, the last chapter of my dissertation highlights that COVID-19 school closures resulted in an under-reporting of child maltreatment allegations and is published in the Journal of Public Economics.

If you would like to get in touch with me, you can reach me at eggoldstein@fsu.edu