This paper examines the viability of some basic predictions of the Mills—Muth model of city structure for modern cities using US data for the year 2000. The estimation strategy used to test the predictions is very similar to that of Jan Brueckner and David Fansler, who use 1970 data to find support for the model's basic comparative statics predictions—namely, that city area is increasing in population and income but decreasing in agricultural land value and commuting costs. This paper uses different measures for land values and commuting costs where possible and a measure of polycentricity to estimate a slightly modified empirical model. Despite the changing structure of cities, there is evidence that the Mills—Muth comparative statics predictions hold for modern US cities, that densely populated cities are more likely to have sub-centres and that market forces drive urban spatial structure.

Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, the author explores how nonemployment spells and career expectations affected men's and women's wages. Wage profiles were affected by total nonemployment time, by recent work interruptions, and by some past interruptions. Statistically significant interruptions were more numerous for women than men, but the wage loss associated with any given interruption was less severe for women. Future career interruptions, which workers presumably anticipate in many cases, affected current investment in human capital to some degree for both sexes. The wage effects of the timing of experience (defined by the fraction of weeks worked, by specific years) correspond closely to the wage effects of interruptions (calendar years without work): when the analysis accounts for the former, little additional penalty is found to have been associated with the latter. A very small fraction of the gender wage gap was attributable solely to timing of experience.

"Because of the uncertainty inherent in searching for a spouse and the uncertainty of the future quality and state of the marriage itself, risk attitudes likely directly impact the timing of marriage. The effect of an individual's risk aversion, measured via a series of hypothetical gambles over income on time to marriage, is examined using survival analysis. I find risk aversion significantly affects time to marriage, with more risk averse respondents marrying sooner than their more risk-loving counterparts. Within-family analyses using sibling data reveal a similar pattern. In addition, the effect of risk aversion on time to marriage is larger in magnitude and more statistically significant for men. One possible explanation for the different results between the sexes is that women value risk aversion as a desirable trait in potential mates." ("JEL" J10, J11, J12, J16) Copyright (c) 2008 Western Economic Association International.