Luorao Bian

Hello!

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Economics from University of California, Santa Barbara. I am on the 2025–2026 job market. 

My fields are Environmental, Labor, Urban, and Health Economics. My work uses quasi-experimental designs and high-resolution spatial data to analyze how environmental conditions and labor market regulations shape health, inequality, and welfare in cities. In my job market paper, I use fine-resolution spatial data to study the environmental costs of place-based labor policies and their welfare implications. My results show that unintended traffic congestion and air quality consequences can drive the welfare impacts of place-based policies far from their intended goals.

I hold an M.A. in Public Policy from The University of Chicago, and an M.A. in Economics from University of California, Santa Barbara. You can find my CV here.