Laura Boudreau

Laura Boudreau serves as an Assistant Professor in the Economics Division at Columbia Business School, Columbia University. Her academic work centers on labor economics and development, particularly examining working conditions, labor rights, and firm productivity within developing countries. She investigates how global supply chains interact with local institutions to shape outcomes for firms and workers.

Dr. Boudreau's research spans Development Economics, Labour Economics, and Organizational Economics, with specific focus on institutional dynamics in low-income settings. Her methodology combines field experiments and survey design to address critical issues like workplace harassment, union leadership, and labor market interventions. This interdisciplinary approach bridges economic theory with practical policy implications for vulnerable worker populations.

Her 2023 publications reveal a cohesive research trajectory examining power structures in labor markets. The studies on harassment monitoring and Myanmar-based union experiments demonstrate her commitment to generating actionable insights through rigorous empirical methods. These works collectively advance understanding of how institutional frameworks mediate worker-firm relationships in global supply chains.

Laura Boudreau's scholarly contributions include multiple PEDL Research Notes addressing small-firm capital returns and sick-leave productivity impacts. Her collaborative work with researchers like Rachel Heath and Sylvain Chassang highlights team-based approaches to complex development challenges, though specific grant sources remain unreported in available materials.