In Short

Past research has found high rates of joblessness corresponded to higher rates of OPIOID PRESCRIPTIONS per capita, leading some economists to theorize that increasing employment would drive down drug abuse. However, economics professor Janet Currie *88 and doctoral students Jonas Jin and Molly Schnell compared opioid prescriptions with job statistics nationwide and found no correlation. Their finding suggests that an increase in opioids might actually help some women — but not men — manage chronic pain and remain employed. The results, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research in March, could inform opioid-related policy. 

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Girls who identify as lesbian or bisexual face higher rates of discipline in school than straight peers, according to research by sociology doctoral student Joel Mittleman. Using data from the Fragile Families and Childhood Wellbeing Study, a project at Princeton and Columbia, Mittleman found that LGBTQ GIRLS faced 95 percent greater odds of being disciplined, while LGBTQ boys’ odds were no different than straight peers. The paper was published in Educational Researcher in January.