Kelsey O'Connor

Professional experience

• Senior Researcher, STATEC Research (current).
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Brookings Institution, Washington D.C., USA.
• Research Assistant to Richard Easterlin and Jeffrey Nugent, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA, USA.
• Teaching Assistant, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA, USA.
• Senior Associate (Valuation Advisory), Duff & Phelps, San Francisco CA, USA.
• Teaching Assistant, Colorado School of Mines, Golden CO, USA
  

Education

• Ph.D. in Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA, USA.
• M.A. in Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles CA, USA.
• M.S. in Mineral Economics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden CO, USA.
• B.S. in Economics and Business, Colorado School of Mines, Golden CO, USA.
  

Publications

• Sarracino, F., Greyling, T., O'Connor, K.J., Peroni, C., Rossouw, S. (2024), Trust predicts compliance to Covid-19 containment policies: evidence from ten countries using big data, Economics and Human Biology, vol. 54.
• O'Connor, K.J. (2023), Measuring Progress in Roger Fernandez-Urbano and Hilke Brockmann, Encyclopedia on Happiness, Quality of Life and Subjective Well-being, Edward Elgar.
• O’Connor, K. J. (2023), Easterlin paradox. in Dictionary of Ecological Economics. Edited by Brent Haddad and Barry D. Solomon. Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Easterlin, R.A. and O'Connor, K.J., (2023), Three years of COVID-19 and Happiness in Europe: A Macro View, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), 120 (19), e2300717120.
• Sarracino, F., Greyling, T., O'Connor, K.J., Peroni, C., and Rossouw, S. (2023), A year of pandemic: levels, changes and validity of well-being data from Twitter. Evidence from ten countries, PLoS ONE, 18(2): e0275028.
• O'Connor, K.J. (2022), Review of "Can we be happier? Evidence and Ethics", International Journal of Happiness and Development, vol. 7(2).
• Easterlin, R.A., and O’Connor, K.J. (2022), The Easterlin Paradox, in Handbook of Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics. Edited by Klaus F. Zimmermann. Springer Cham.
• Sarracino, F. and O'Connor, K. J. (2022), A measure of well-being efficiency based on the World Happiness Report, International Productivity Monitor, (43), 10-40.
• Sarracino, F. and O'Connor, K. J. (2022), Neo-humanism and Covid-19: opportunities for a socially and environmentally sustainable world, Applied Research in Quality of Life, On-line first.
• Easterlin, R.A., and O'Connor, K.J. (2022), Explaining Happiness Trends in Europe, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 119(37).
• Sarracino, F., and O’Connor, K.J. (2021), Economic growth and well-being beyond the Easterlin paradox, in A Modern Guide to the Economics of Happiness. Edited by Luigino Bruni, Alessandra Smerilli, and Dalila De Rosa. Edward Elgar.
• Sarracino, F., O’Connor, K.J., and Ono, H. (2021), Are economic growth and well-being compatible: Welfare reform and life satisfaction in Japan. Oxford Economic Papers, online first.
• Morgan, R., and O’Connor, K.J. (2021), Labor market policy and subjective well-being during the Great Recession. 2021. Journal of Happiness Studies, online first.
• O’Connor, K.J. (2020). The effect of immigration on natives’ well-being in the European Union. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 180, 257-274.
• O’Connor, K.J. and Peroni C., (2020) One in three Luxembourg residents report their mental health declined during the COVID-19 crisis. International Journal of Community Well-Being, online first.
• Morgan, R., and O'Connor, K.J (2020) Does the U-shape Pattern in Life Cycle Satisfaction Obscure Reality? A Response to Blanchflower. Review of Behavioral Economics, 7(2), pp. 201-206.
• O’Connor, K.J. (2020) Life Satisfaction and Noncognitive Skills: Effects on the Likelihood of Unemployment. Kyklos, online first.
• O’Connor, K.J., and Graham, C. (2019), Longer, more optimistic, lives: Historic optimism and life expectancy in the United States, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, online first.
• O’Connor, K.J., Blanco L., and Nugent J. (2018), Does Oil Really Curse Democracy? A Long-Run Time-Series Analysis of 127 Countries , Resources Policy, (57) 264-277.
• O’Connor, K.J. (2017), Happiness and Welfare State Policy Around the World. Review of Behavioral Economics, 4(4) 397-420.
• Morgan R. and O’Connor, K.J. (2017), Experienced Life Cycle Satisfaction in Europe, Review of Behavioral Economics, (4)4 371-396.
• O’Connor, K.J. (2017), Who Suffered Most From the Great Recession? Happiness in the U.S., RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 3(3) 72-99.
• Blanco L., Nugent J. and O’Connor, K.J. (2015), Oil Curse and Institutional Changes: Which Institutions Are Most Vulnerable to the Curse and Under What Circumstances, Contemporary Economic Policy, 33(2) 229–403.
  

General Audience Articles

• Sarracino F., O’Connor K.J. (2024) “Richer and Happier? Why People in Luxembourg are not as happy as they could be and what we can do about it”, Forum Für Politik, Gesellschaft und Kultur in Luxemburg
• O’Connor K.J. (2023) Methods to measure and (not) achieve societal progress.  Improof.lu. and Paperjam.lu
• Sarracino, F., O’Connor K.J., and Ono H, (2021) New research reveals the myth of Japan's 'lost decades'. Nikkei Asia.
• Morgan R., and O'Connor, K.J. (2020), Job policies that offer generous unemployment benefits create more happiness – for everyone. TheConversation.com.
  

Released working papers

• O'Connor, K.J. (2024), Is immigration good for Europe? Long-run evidence using comprehensive well-being, GLO Discussion Paper, 1461, Global Labor Organization.
• O'Connor, K.J. and Bartolin, S. (2024), Effects of Teaching Practices on Life Satisfaction and Test Scores: Evidence from the Program for International Student Assessment (Pisa), IZA Discussion Paper, 17145, IZA.
• O'Connor, K.J., Riillo, C. A.F. and Slater, G. (2024), Dissatisfied employees are three times more likely to quit: Evidence from the Luxembourg Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, ECOSTAT, 137 05/2024, STATEC.
• O'Connor, K.J. (2024), Measuring Societal Progress, ECOSTAT, 136 03/2024, STATEC.
• O'Connor, K.J., Riillo, C. A.F. and Slater, G. (2024), Dissatisfied employees are three times more likely to quit: Evidence from the Luxembourg Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, ECOSTAT, 137 05/2024, STATEC.
• Bartolini, S., O'Connor, K.J. (2022), Effects of teaching practices on life satisfaction and test scores: evidence from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), GLO Working Paper Series No. 1009, Global Labor Organization.
  
• Sarracino, F., Greyling, T., O'Connor, K.J., Peroni, C., and Rossouw S. (2021). A year of pandemic: levels, changes and validity of well-being data from Twitter. Evidence from ten countries. IZA Discussion Paper No. 14903.

Reports

• Sarracino, F., O'Connor, K.J. (2023), Happy Life Years in Luxembourg, STATEC, 124-141, Chapter  5 [In English].
• Peroni, C., O’Connor, K.J., Riillo, C.A.F., Santoleri, P., Sarracino, F., and Sivec, V.(2021), Studies from STATEC Research: timely information on well-being and the economy, in Bilan Compétitivité et Résilience 2021: Très bonne résistance de l'économie luxembourgeoise. Ministère de l’Économie, Observatoire de la compétitivité, chapter 5.
  
• Sarracino, F., and O’Connor, K.J., Greyling, T., Peroni, C., and Rossouw S., (2021) From tweets to statistics: Sentiment analysis of tweets reveals how people’s feelings have changed during the pandemic in Luxembourg. STATEC Regards No. 2.
• O’Connor, K.J., Morgan, R., Peroni, C. and Riilllo, C.A.F. and Sarracino, F., (2020) Thematic Studies (2020) In Competitiveness Report 2020: Vulnerabilities and resilience, Ministère de l’Économie, Observatoire de la compétitivité, chapter 5.
• O’Connor, K.J., Peroni, C, Riillo, C. A. F. and Sarracino, F., (2019), Thematic Studies, In Bilan Compétitivité 2019: Focus sur l’entrepreneuriat, Ministère de l’Économie, Observatoire de la compétitivité, 215-231, Chapter 8.