Albert Saiz - Faculty Research in Knowledge@Wharton

'Not a Positive Signal': The Economic Impact of Arizona's New Immigration Law

Wed, 12 May 2010 15:14:35 EST

Arizona's controversial new immigration law reflects a sharp political response to long-simmering conflict over immigration policy in a nation that takes pride in its history as a society built with the help of people from many lands. Wharton faculty say the timing of the legislation is in part a reaction to stress brought on by the economic downturn, even as declining demand for labor has slowed immigration into the United States. They and others debate the economic effects of the legislation on employers, employees and future immigration policy.

For Modern Urban Growth, Don't Forget the Ballpark and River Walk

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:25:28 EST

Can urban amenities -- like ballparks, aquariums and river walks -- help stabilize U.S. cities and improve their economic outlooks? A new paper by Wharton real estate professor Albert Saiz and a colleague quantifies the importance of leisure amenities but also provides evidence that spending public dollars on leisure and cultural activities may offer more long-range benefit than traditional economic development focused on job creation. "For the last 50 years, we have been trying to bring businesses to cities," says Saiz, "but maybe it makes more sense to get people in there -- and the businesses will follow."

Predictions and Perceptions: Downloading Wisdom from Online Crowds

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 15:43:21 EST

Prediction markets, where people bet on everything from the likelihood that a movie will be a hit to the chance that a politician will become president to whether the stock market will go up or down, are in vogue. But because prediction markets have to be managed, they aren't always the ideal way to get information. Wharton professors Albert Saiz and Uri Simonsohn have found a cheaper way to deliver some of the same benefits. It's called an Internet search. The two professors argue in a new paper that the likelihood that a topic is discussed online, in relation to a given location, correlates with its relative prevalence in the real world.

Follow the Sun: Predicting Population Growth in the U.S.

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 15:11:00 EST

The greatest future growth in the United States is likely to take place in the West, the Sunbelt and along the I-85 corridor between Raleigh, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga. In a literal sense, Americans are following the sun, since factors such as the number of "bright" or "sun" days in January and the absence of winter heating costs are significant aspects of this anticipated redistribution of population, note Wharton real estate professors Peter Linneman and Albert Saiz in their study, "Forecasting 2020 U.S. County and MSA Populations." The areas that can expect the largest drop in population, or a slow-down in their rate of growth, are mostly in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. "Americans are rapidly leaving cold, damp, and snowy areas for sunnier and drier climates," the authors write.