Research Snapshots

Can you tell us about your current research and the question or problem it addresses? 

My research, co-authored with Carol Newman, John Rand and Marvin Suesse, examines how the legacy of apartheid laws in South Africa continues to shape labour market dynamics and aggregate productivity. This project combines detailed historical records on racial job reservations and mobility restrictions with modern, geocoded employer–employee data to examine whether these past policies continue to influence how workers are allocated across sectors and regions. By mapping historical restrictions onto current labour market structures, we pinpoint persistent misallocation of labour. Our findings suggest that apartheid-era barriers still affect worker mobility, limiting the reallocation of labour to its most productive uses. These distortions cause the economy to underperform relative to its potential because skills and experience are not fully utilised in the sectors and locations where they could generate the most output. Essentially, historical spatial and occupational limitations hinder South Africa’s overall productivity growth. 

Why do you think this area of research matters for economics or for society more broadly? 

Aggregate productivity is a key driver of long-term economic growth and living standards. When workers cannot move freely to the jobs where they are most productive - whether due to current barriers or the lingering effects of past ones - the economy’s output potential declines, because labour is trapped in low-productivity uses instead of being reallocated to where it adds the most value. Our research shows that the legacy of apartheid’s job reservation laws and mobility restrictions continues to influence labour allocation patterns decades after their repeal. This persistence matters because it reveals how historical inequalities can become “locked in” through spatial settlement patterns, skill mismatches, and limited access to jobs. For policymakers, the results emphasise the importance of addressing the deep-rooted structural barriers stemming from historical policies, and they also provide insights into how effective post-apartheid policies aimed at redressing these inequities have been.  

What would you say to students who are interested in pursuing an economics PhD? 

Pursuing an economics PhD offers you the chance to explore big questions that influence the world, such as inequality and growth. Choose a topic that sparks your curiosity, it will help you through challenging days! Be prepared to grapple with complex data and delve into theories, but remain adaptable as new insights emerge. Your work can transform our understanding of urgent issues, so embrace the challenge of developing solid, credible answers. It’s a demanding journey, but also an exciting one; you will acquire skills that enable you to make a meaningful difference in academia and beyond. Go for it! 

Read Talent's working paper about apartheid here. 

Read Talent's latest paper about multinationals and labour market competition here. 

May 2026