Presenter: John Winters (Iowa State University)

Location: 368A Heady Hall

Title: Do Prior Residents Benefit from Energy Booms?

Abstract: The 21st century fracking boom transformed American energy production and numerous regions with newly profitable oil and gas resources.  However, the new jobs created often required particular skills and abilities.  Many new jobs were filled by temporary in-migrants and long-distance commuters, possibly reducing economic benefits for prior residents.  We use novel restricted-access data from the U.S. Census Bureau to assess fracking impacts on prior residents.  Previous research generally reports combined effects for prior residents, in-migrants, and commuters.  We examine impacts on earnings and employment for persons born in non-metropolitan fracking counties.  We utilize an event study design to estimate annual impacts during the fracking boom, bust, and subsequent periods.  We find sizable impacts on average log earnings that peaked during the boom and partially persisted during and after the bust.  The fracking boom also increased the probability of being employed but the effect largely disappeared during and after the bust.