Sydnee Caldwell

Sydnee Caldwell is an Assistant Professor of Labor Economics holding a joint appointment between UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business (Economic Analysis and Policy group) and Department of Economics. She completed her PhD at MIT in 2019 and is currently on leave at SIEPR (Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research) for the 2025-2026 academic year. Her research focuses on the relationship between workers' outside options and their wages, as well as the role of firms in the labor market, with particular emphasis on gender wage gaps and bargaining dynamics.

Dr. Caldwell's research primarily investigates labor market structures, wage-setting mechanisms, and inequality. Her work leverages administrative data combined with experimental, quasi-experimental, and survey methods to examine how workers and firms interact in wage negotiations. She has made significant contributions to understanding how monopsony power affects wage determination, how outside options influence bargaining positions, and why gender wage gaps persist in different labor market contexts. Her recent work has shown that women earn approximately 5% less than men at employers that negotiate wages separately with each newly hired worker, with the gender wage gap being 3-6 percentage points higher at firms that bargain individually with workers.

Analysis of Dr. Caldwell's publication record reveals a strong focus on labor market power dynamics, particularly monopsony and bargaining. Her research spans theoretical frameworks and empirical applications, with increasing attention to gender disparities in recent years. She frequently employs innovative data collection methods and combines administrative datasets with experimental approaches. Her work has important policy implications for minimum wage policies, non-compete agreements, and interventions to reduce gender wage gaps. The trajectory of her research shows a progression from general labor market structures to more specific examinations of gender and inequality within those structures.

• Early Career Research Awards program funding (Upjohn Institute)
• Active participant in NBER Gender meetings, including the Spring 2025 meeting themed 'Women in the Digital World'

Dr. Caldwell serves as an advisor to PhD students in economics and labor-related fields at UC Berkeley. Her research has been supported by various funding sources including the Upjohn Institute's Early Career Research Awards program. She frequently collaborates with researchers like Ingrid Haegele and Jörg Heining on gender wage gap studies, and has presented her work at major economics conferences including the NBER Gender meetings and American Economic Association sessions. Her research has practical implications for labor policy, wage regulation, and gender equity initiatives.

Dr. Caldwell is actively involved in the Opportunity Lab at UC Berkeley and collaborates with researchers at institutions including the Upjohn Institute. Her current research projects examine how digital platforms are changing labor market dynamics, particularly in relation to gender disparities. She is also engaged in international comparative work, having studied wage bargaining in the German context. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges economics with insights from sociology and gender studies to provide a more comprehensive understanding of labor market phenomena.