Professor of Economics, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Professor of Public Policy, Gerald R Ford School of Public Policy, Faculty Associate, Survey Research Center and Faculty Associate, Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research
Biography
Dr. Stephens is a labor economist with research interests in displaced workers, household consumption decisions, aging and retirement, and how the timing of income receipt affects consumption decisions.
Publications
- Melvin Stephens Jr, Charles, Kerwin, Li, Yiming . 2018. Disability Benefit Take-Up and Local Labor Market Conditions. The Review of Economics and Statistics 100(3):416-423.
- Melvin Stephens Jr, Unayama, Takashi . 2018. Estimating the Impacts of Program Benefits: Using Instrumental Variables with Underreported and Imputed Data. The Review of Economics and Statistics 101(3):468-475.
- Melvin Stephens Jr, Polenick, Courtney Allyn, Hemphill, Rachel C, Martire, Lynn M. 2016. Spouse confidence and physical function among adults with osteoarthritis: The mediating role of spouse responses to pain. Health Psychology 35(10):1059-1068.
- Melvin Stephens Jr, Unayama, Takashi . 2015. Child Benefit Payments and Household Wealth Accumulation. Japanese Economic Review 66(4):447-465.
- Melvin Stephens Jr, Yang, Dou-Yan . 2014. Compulsory Education and the Benefits of Schooling. American Economic Review 104(6):1777-92.
- Melvin Stephens Jr, Charles, Kerwin. 2013. Employment, Wages, and Voter Turnout. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 5(4):111-143.
- Melvin Stephens Jr, Krupka, E . 2013. The stability of measured time preferences. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 85:11-19.
- Melvin Stephens Jr, Unayama, T . 2012. The impact of retirement on household consumption in Japan. Journal of the Japanese and International Economies 26(1):62-83.
- Melvin Stephens Jr, Cook, A , Gaynor, M , Taylor, Lowell J. 2012. The effect of a hospital nurse staffing mandate on patient health outcomes: Evidence from California's minimum staffing regulation. Journal of Health Economics 31(2):340-348.
- Melvin Stephens Jr, Unayama, Takashi . 2011. The Consumption Response to Seasonal Income: Evidence from Japanese Public Pension Benefits. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 3(4):86-118.
- Melvin Stephens Jr. 2008. The consumption response to predictable changes in discretionary income: Evidence from the repayment of vehicle loans. Review of Economics and Statistics 90(2):241-252.
- Melvin Stephens Jr, Haider, Steven J. 2007. Is there a retirement-consumption puzzle? Evidence using subjective retirement expectations. Review of Economics and Statistics 89(2):247-269.
- Melvin Stephens Jr. 2007. Are there treatment duration differences in the Seattle and Denver income maintenance experiments?. B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy 7(1):58.
- Melvin Stephens Jr. 2006. Paycheque receipt and the timing of consumption. Economic Journal 116(513):680-701.
- Melvin Stephens Jr, Charles, Kerwin. 2006. Abortion legalization and adolescent substance use. Journal of Law and Economics 49(2):481-505.
- Melvin Stephens Jr, Charles, Kerwin. 2004. Job displacement, disability, and divorce. Journal of Labor Economics 22(2):489-522.
- Melvin Stephens Jr, Ward-Batts, Jennifer . 2004. The impact of separate taxation on the intra-household allocation of assets: evidence from the UK. Journal of Public Economics 88(9-10):1989-2007.