Claudia Goldin

Claudia Goldin is Henry Lee Professor of Economics at Harvard University and the 2023 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences — only the third woman to receive the Nobel in Economics and the first awarded as the sole recipient in that field. Her research spans two centuries of U.S. women's labor force participation, documenting how economic development, education, marriage market changes, and social norms interact to shape women's economic roles over time. Her most influential recent work identifies "greedy jobs" — positions that disproportionately reward very long hours and inflexible schedules — as the primary remaining driver of the gender pay gap, rather than overt discrimination. This framework suggests that structural changes in how work is organized (more flexible scheduling, better remote options, more team-based work) are more effective at reducing pay gaps than anti-discrimination enforcement alone. Goldin's research has been enormously influential in policy discussions about paid family leave, childcare, and workplace flexibility in developed economies.