Achyuta Adhvaryu  (University of Michigan)

When It Rains It Pours: The Long-run Economic Impacts of Salt Iodization in the United States 

Date: June, 8th At 12,00h

Room: 23 103 (Mercè Rodoreda Builiding) - Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona

Abstract: In 1924, The Morton Salt Company began nationwide distribution of iodine-fortified salt. Access to iodine, a key determinant of cognitive ability, rose sharply. We compare outcomes for cohorts exposed in utero to iodized salt with those of slightly older, unexposed cohorts, across states with high versus low iodine deficiency rates prior to salt fortification. Incomes for cohorts who benefited from iodized salt access went up by 3%, with an 8% increase at prime ages. Employment rose by 1 percentage point, driven by a 2 point rise at prime ages and focused on entry into low-wage jobs. Women experienced significantly larger increases than men-indeed, the overall effect is largely due to changes in female income and labor force participation. 

Bio: Achyuta Adhvaryu is Assistant Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. His research is in development economics, with particular focus on worker productivity and retention, health care delivery, and early childhood development in low-income contexts. He is affiliated faculty at the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Michigan Population Studies Center, and the Center for Positive Organizations at Michigan. He received his PhD in economics from Yale University in 2009.