Researcher at @CREIResearch. @UChi_Economics PhD. Previously @PennStateEcon and @PrincetonEcon. Made in Lecce, Italy.
Barcelona, Spain
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What happens when a country’s population doesn’t just age, but its rural areas also begin to empty out?
In this episode of VoxTalks Economics, @eli_gnn (@CREIResearch) speaks with Tim Phillips about her research on ageing, depopulation and regional inequality in Japan.
What happens as younger people move towards places with stronger labour markets and amenities, while shrinking areas face declining local services and higher costs of public provision? And could policy reverse this trend?
The authors model transfers to Japan’s five oldest prefectures, financed by a labour income tax on Tokyo residents. Sustained over a long period, these transfers can substantially increase the population of ageing regions and reduce their elderly share. But there is a trade-off: the policy also lowers aggregate income per capita and increases fiscal spending per person.
The takeaway? The question is not whether there is a free solution, but how much society is willing to pay to reduce spatial inequality and preserve life in declining regions.
Listen to the full conversation now: ow.ly/2rS250ZzUeb
#VoxTalks #Japan #PopulationAgeing #RegionalInequality #Economics
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Elisa Giannone retweeted
If you're thinking about covering development accounting this fall (or in the future), David Lagakos and I have put together slides to accompany our review article on what we've learned over the two decades since Caselli. Available here: toddschoellman.com/supplemen…
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Saving a ghost town is possible. It just isn’t free.
I spoke with Tim Phillips at @VoxEU about our research on ageing, depopulation, and the widening divide between thriving cities and shrinking regions — using Japan as a glimpse into many countries’ future. 🎧👇
What happens when a country’s population doesn’t just age, but its rural areas also begin to empty out?
In the latest episode of VoxTalks Economics, @eli_gnn (@CREIResearch) speaks with Tim Phillips about her research on ageing, depopulation and regional inequality in Japan.
What happens as younger people move towards places with stronger labour markets and amenities, while shrinking areas face declining local services and higher costs of public provision? And could policy reverse this trend?
The authors model transfers to Japan’s five oldest prefectures, financed by a labour income tax on Tokyo residents. Sustained over a long period, these transfers can substantially increase the population of ageing regions and reduce their elderly share. But there is a trade-off: the policy also lowers aggregate income per capita and increases fiscal spending per person.
The takeaway? The question is not whether there is a free solution, but how much society is willing to pay to reduce spatial inequality and preserve life in declining regions.
Listen to the full conversation now: ow.ly/2rS250ZzUeb
#VoxTalks #Japan #PopulationAgeing #RegionalInequality #Economics
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Ageing is often treated as a national problem.
But it has a very uneven geography. Our paper shows how young outmigration today creates older, smaller places tomorrow — with rising costs of public service provision and difficult policy trade-offs.
New VoxEU column below.
Living in a ghost town: The geography of depopulation and ageing
Elisa Giannone @eli_gnn @CREIResearch@bse_barcelona, Yuhei Miyauchi @MiyauchiYuhei @BU_Tweets, Xinle Pang @buffalostate, Yuta Suzuki @sjtu1896, Nuno Miguel Marques da Paixao @bankofcanada
ow.ly/6bCS50ZjvVN
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Looking forward for your best submissions!
📢Final reminder!
#CallForPapers - Junior Spatial Economics Conference 2026
📍Host: @UPFBarcelona |📆14-15 December 2026
⌛Deadline: 20 June 2026
ow.ly/fyTa50YOYaz
@brunoconteleite @eli_gnn
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Congrats to all these promising young economists!
In particular, to my student, Simone!
Check out his job market paper!
Meet the finalists of this year’s Young Economist Prize!
Their research papers explore the role of innovation, growth and stability in shaping Europe’s future.
The winner will be announced at the #ECBForum on Central Banking from 29 June to 1 July link.europa.eu/WFFQJq
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Elisa Giannone retweeted
Congratulations to Professor @LibertadGonLu, finalist for the Vanguard of Science Prize.
Her research shows that high-quality public childcare can help reduce severe child neglect.
🗳️ Voting is open until June 28:
lavanguardia.com/vanguardia-…
#BSE #Research
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Elisa Giannone retweeted
@Prof_Yildirim and I are recruiting a pre-doctoral research assistant. We are late in the round so will be review applications on a rolling basis. Apply here: drive.google.com/file/d/1y98…
@econ_ra
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🚩NEW Paper Alert! 🚩
1. What are the implications of spatial depopulation and aging in Japan?
2. Will this disparity persist in the future?
3. What do governments do?
Local subsidy to depopulated areas generates an equity-efficiency trade-off.
New CEPR Discussion Paper - DP21447
Living in a Ghost Town: The Geography of Depopulation and Aging
Elisa Giannone @eli_gnn @CREIResearch, Yuhei Miyauchi @MiyauchiYuhei @BU_Tweets, Nuno Paixão @bankofcanada, Xinle Pang @buffalostate, Yuta Suzuki @sjtu1896
ow.ly/CiXW50YVyGv
#CEPR_ITRE #CEPR_MG #EconTwitter
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Elisa Giannone retweeted
📣 Call for papers 📣
20th North American Meeting of the Urban Economics Association
September 25 - 26, 2026
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Chicago
Keynotes by Jens Ludwig and Steve Redding
Please submit your paper by May 21st
urbaneconomics.org/meetings/…
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Elisa Giannone retweeted
This week's story by @pilossopher 👇
"No one else can have your ectopic pregnancy. No one else can be hospitalized for your mastitis.[...]This is precisely why the tenure clock extension for childbearing exists."
..and why(part of) it should exist for childbearing, not parenting.
In week 7 of One Extra Year, the fabulous @pilossopher shares her incredible feat of birthing and raising 2 children, nearly dying from an ectopic pregnancy and getting tenure @DukeEcon
oneextrayear.substack.com/p/…
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Elisa Giannone retweeted
This week’s story touches on an important issue:
Our professional norms around frequent travel and work dinners were created in a time when the typical economist was a man with little childcare responsibilities.
Do these norms still serve us well in this day and age?
Week 5 of One Extra Year features the brilliant @MonicaMorlacco sharing her experience with the impossible trade-offs young mothers on the tenure track face.
Read, reflect, join the conversation!
oneextrayear.substack.com/p/…
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Juniors working in Spatial Economics:
Send us your best work!
We look forward to seeing you in Barcelona!
Junior Spatial Conference:
December 14-15, CEPR, UPF and CREi (Barcelona)
Call for Papers:
mailchi.mp/cepr/junior-spati…
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Elisa Giannone retweeted
Join us in Barcelona to advance your expertise in development economics and connect with professionals worldwide.
Early Bird Deadline: April 15, 2026
• Banking Theory (June 29 – July 3, 2026)
• Banking and Money (July 6 – 10, 2026)
• Empirical Banking (July 6 – 10, 2026)
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🚨 REMINDER 🚨
BSE Summer Forum Workshop on Geography, Trade, and Growth (Barcelona, Jun 9–10, 2026) closes Feb 28, 2026.
Submit here: events.bse.eu/live/files/596…
We hope to see many of your papers in the submission folder😎
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Reminder: BSE Summer Forum Workshop on Macro Development (Jun 15-16) closes Feb 28, 2026.
Keynote: Richard Rogerson (Princeton).
Submit your best paper, and yes, Barcelona in June is a natural experiment in both macro devo and gelato consumption ☀️
bse.eu/summer-forum/workshop…
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Elisa Giannone retweeted
🚨 LAST CALL🚨
#CallForPapers for the IV Workshop on #PublicPolicies
📌 Deadline: February 22nd❗
📅 June 15-16, 2026
📍 Barcelona
Keynote speakers:
🗣️ @michelacarlana (@Kennedy_School & @Unibocconi)
🗣️ @MatthewJLindQ (@SOFI_su_se & @Stockholm_Uni)
ℹ️ f.mtr.cool/ippxxibyqr
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Elisa Giannone retweeted
Reminder that submission are due on Sunday! I hope you're working hard on yours (I am) and to see you in Athens!
Submissions are now open for SED 2026 which will be held July 2-4, in Athens, Greece.
We are excited to announce plenary speakers George-Marios Angeletos, @virgiliu79, and @poweill.
Submit your papers here: editorialexpress.com/cgi-bin…
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Elisa Giannone retweeted
David Lagakos and I have a new review of development accounting (toddschoellman.com/papers/ls…). We ask: what have we learned in the two decades since Caselli’s seminal Handbook chapter? (1/7)
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