Guangbin Hong wins Canadian Labour Economics Forum's Best Paper Prize

Guangbin Hong, a PhD candidate in the department of economics in the Faculty of Arts & Science, has been recognized with the Canadian Labour Economics Forum (CLEF)’s Best Paper Prize. 

The award recognizes the best paper written by a Canadian student or recent graduate, and aims to support excellence in early-career research by young labour economists.

Hong’s paper, Two-Sided Sorting of Workers and Firms: Implications for Spatial Inequality and Welfare, explores how two-sided sorting affects spatial earnings inequality, efficiency and allocation of workers and firms across cities, as well as the welfare consequences of place-based policies.

“During his time here at the University of Toronto, Jeremy has made many interesting, thoughtful and helpful contributions that faculty, staff, and other students can all appreciate,” said Professor Ettore Damiano, chair of the department of economics.

“CLEF’s recognition of Jeremy’s accomplished job market paper is another sign that his instincts as a researcher are well-developed and attuned to the needs of policymakers, decision makers and their advisors. We are all proud to witness these early-stage successes as Jeremy starts his career.”

The prize completes a unique hat-trick of awards for Hong, whose paper was also recognized with the Bank of Canada's Graduate Student Paper Award and the European Economic Association and UniCredit Foundation Best Job Market Paper award.

Following his thesis defense this summer, Hong will spend the 2024-2025 academic year as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Chicago, before joining Michigan State University as an assistant professor in August 2025.