Mary.Burke@bos.frb.org
Biography
Mary A. Burke is a senior economist and policy advisor with New England Public Policy Center (NEPPC) in the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department. She is an applied labor economist studying the economics of health behaviors and health outcomes, education, social norms, and the gig economy. Burke earned a BA in mathematics from Brown University and both an MA and PhD in economics from Johns Hopkins University. Before joining the Boston Fed in 2005, she served as an assistant professor of economics at Florida State University. She gives regular briefings on the New England economy to senior leaders with the Federal Reserve System and to public audiences.
Work Experience
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Senior Economist and Policy Advisor, 2021–
Senior Economist, 2007–2020
Economist, 2005–2006
Florida State University
Assistant Professor of Economics, 1998–2005
Grinnell College
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics, 2002–2003
Johns Hopkins University
Research Assistant, 1996–1997
Instructor, 1993–1994
Teaching Assistant, 1992–1994
National Cathedral School
Mathematics Instructor, 1988–1991
Education
PhD, Economics, Johns Hopkins University, 1998
MA, Economics, Johns Hopkins University, 1994
BA, Mathematics (magna cum laude), Brown University, 1988
Primary fields of research
Social norms and social interactions, health economics, applied microeconomics
Publications
Refereed journal articles
“Household Inflation Expectations and Consumer Spending: Evidence from Panel Data,” with Ali Ozdagli. 2021. The Review of Economics and Statistics, October 15, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1162/rest_a_01118
“Wage Inflation and Informal Work,” with Anat Bracha. 2018. Economic Letters 171(October 2018): 159–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econlet.2018.07.033
“Evolving Societal Norms of Obesity: What Is the Appropriate Response?” with Frank W. Heiland. 2018. The Journal of the American Medical Association 319(3): 221–222.
"You Can Be Too Thin (But Not Too Tall): Social Desirability Bias in Self-reports of Weight and Height," with K. Carman. 2017. Economics and Human Biology 27(A), 198–222.
"Economic Literacy and Inflation Expectations: Evidence from a Laboratory Experiment," with M. Manz. 2014. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking 46(7): 1421–1456.
"Classroom Peer Effects and Student Achievement," with T.R. Sass. 2013. Journal of Labor Economics 31(1): 51–82.
Burke, M.A., Heiland, F., and C.M. Nadler. "From 'Overweight' to 'About Right': Evidence of a Generational Shift in Body Weight Norms." Obesity 2010, 18(6): 1226–34.
"Geographic Variations in a Model of Physician Treatment Choice with Social Interactions," with G.M. Fournier and K. Prasad. 2013. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 73(3): 418–32.
"The Diffusion of a Medical Innovation: Is Success in the Stars? Further Evidence," with G.M. Fournier and K. Prasad. 2009. Southern Economic Journal 75(4): 1274–78.
"Social Dynamics of Obesity," with F. Heiland. 2007. Economic Inquiry 45(3): 571–591.
"The Diffusion of a Medical Innovation: Is Success in the Stars?" with G.M. Fournier and K. Prasad. 2007. Southern Economic Journal 73(3): 588–603.
"The Emergence of Local Norms in Networks," with G.M. Fournier and K. Prasad. 2006. Complexity 11(5): 65–83.
"An Evolutionary Model of Debt," with K. Prasad. 2002. Journal of Monetary Economics 49(7): 1407–1438.
"Competition and Custom in Economic Contracts: A Case Study of Illinois Agriculture," with H.P. Young. 2001. American Economic Review 91(3): 559–573.
Books and book chapters
"Social Norms," with H.P. Young in Handbook of Social Economics, eds. J. Benhabib, A. Bisin, and M.O. Jackson. 2010. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
"Social Multipliers" in The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, Second Edition, eds. S. Durlauf and L. Blume. 2008. London: Palgrave-Macmillan.
"The Strength of Social Interactions and Obesity Among Women," with F. Heiland in Agent-Based Computational Modelling, eds. F. Billari, T. Fent, A. Prskawetz, and J. Scheffran. 2006. New York: Springer Science & Business Media.
Working papers and other unpublished papers
“Informal Work and Official Employment Statistics: What’s Missing?” with Anat Bracha. 2023. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Working Papers No. 23-15. https://doi.org/10.29412/res.wp.2023.15
“Can Treatment with Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Improve Employment Prospects? Evidence from Rhode Island Medicaid Enrollees,” with Riley Sullivan. 2022. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research New England Public Policy Center Research Reports No. 22-3.
“Employment Trajectories among Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder: Can Evidence-Based Treatment Improve Outcomes?” with Riley Sullivan, Katherine Carman, Hefei Wen, J. Frank Wharam, and Hao Yu. 2022. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Working Papers No. 22-25. https://doi.org/10.29412/res.wp.2022.25
“Did the Medicaid Expansion Crowd Out Other Payment Sources for Medications for Opioid Use Disorder? Evidence from Rhode Island,” with Riley Sullivan. 2022. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Current Policy Perspectives, April 14, 2022.
“Did the Affordable Care Act Affect Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder among the Already Insured? Evidence from the Rhode Island All-payer Claims Database,” with Katherine Carman, Riley Sullivan, Hefei Wen, J. Frank Wharam, and Hao Yu. 2021. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Working Papers No. 21-17. https://doi.org/10.29412/res.wp.2021.17
“The Medicaid Expansion and the Uptake of Medication-assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Evidence from the Rhode Island All-payer Claims Database, 2012–2018,” with Riley Sullivan. 2021. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Current Policy Perspectives. March 17, 2021.
“Who Gets Medication-assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder, and Does It Reduce Overdose Risk? Evidence from the Rhode Island All-payer Claims Database,” with Riley Sullivan, Katherine Carman, Hefei Wen, J. Frank Wharam, and Hao Yu. 2021. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Working Papers No. 21-3. https://doi.org/10.29412/res.wp.2021.03
“Medication-assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Rhode Island: Who Gets Treatment, and Does Treatment Improve Health Outcomes?” with Riley Sullivan. 2020. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston New England Public Policy Center Research Reports No. 20-3.
“Household Inflation Expectations and Consumer Spending: Evidence from Panel Data,” with Ali Ozdagli. 2020. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Working Papers No. 20-15. https://doi.org/10.29412/res.wp.2020.15
“No Longer Qualified? Changes in the Supply and Demand for Skills within Occupations,” with Alicia Sasser Modestino, Shahriar Sadighi, Rachel B. Sederberg, and Bledi Taska. 2020. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Working Papers No. 20-3.
“Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Is Rhode Island Different, and Why?” 2019. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Current Policy Perspectives No. 19–2.
“The Ups and Downs of the Gig Economy, 2015–2017.” 2018. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Working Papers No. 18–12.
“Wage Inflation and Informal Work,” with Anat Bracha. 2018. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Current Policy Perspectives No. 18-2.
"Community Education Circles in the Lawrence Public Schools: Evaluation Design and Baseline Survey," with Katharine Bradbury, John Brown, Erin Michelle Graves, and Robert Triest. 2017. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Current Policy Perspectives No. 17-1.
"Who Counts as Employed? Informal Work, Employment Status, and Labor Market Slack," with A. Bracha. 2016. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Working Papers No. 16-29.
"Labor Force Participation in New England vs. the United States, 2007-2015: Why Was the Regional Decline More Moderate?" 2016. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Current Policy Perspectives No. 16-2.
"Changing Patterns in Informal Work Participation in the United States 2013-2015," with A. Bracha and A. Khachiyan. 2016. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Current Policy Perspectives No. 15-10.
"The Rhode Island Labor Market in Recovery: Where is the Skills Gap?" 2015. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Current Policy Perspectives No. 15-7.
"Within-School Spillover Effects of Foreclosures and Student Mobility on Student Academic Performance," with K. Bradbury and R. Triest. 2015. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Working Papers No. 15-6.
"Informal Work Activity in the United States: Evidence from Survey Responses," with A. Bracha. 2014. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Current Policy Perspectives No. 14-13.
"Rhode Island in the Great Recession: Factors Contributing to its Sharp Downturn and Slow Recovery." 2014. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Current Policy Perspectives No. 14-9.
"Household Inflation Expectations and Consumer Spending: Evidence from Panel Data," with A. Ozdagli. 2013. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Working Papers No. 13-25.
"The Effect of Foreclosure on Boston Public School Student Academic Performance," with K. Bradbury and R. Triest. 2013. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Working Papers No. 13-12.
"Explaining Gender-Specific Racial Differences in Obesity Using Biased Self-Reports of Food Intake and Physical Activity," with F. Heiland. 2011. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Working Papers No. 11-2.
"Race, Obesity, and the Puzzle of Gender Specificity," with F. Heiland. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Research Department Working Papers No. 08-8.