hakyeonglee

I’m a PhD student in economics at UConn, and this project is part of my dissertation. My path here started at the University of Rochester, where I studied economics and political science. I loved how neatly costs and benefits could explain everyday decisions: why we choose what we choose, and what we give up when we do.

After graduating, I worked as a research associate in the Labor and Industry Analysis Department of Korea’s National Assembly Budget Office, Korea’s equivalent of the U.S. Congressional Budget Office. There I saw how much good policy depends on understanding how people make work decisions.

During my PhD program, as I read more labor and experimental economics, one thing kept bothering me. Labor economists usually measure work in hours; experimental economists often fix the hours and measure effort. But in real life, we choose both: how long to work and how hard to work while we are at it. This pilot is my first step toward finding out how those choices fit together.

I hope this research helps economists measure both, and helps policymakers build on a fuller picture of how people actually work. For now, my goal is simple: answer this question carefully. Thank you for being part of it.

November 2026