Livia Alfonsi

Assistant Professor, Harvard Business School

Livia is a development economist whose research focuses on labor market frictions and determinants of labor market participation in low-income settings, with a particular emphasis on barriers to youth employment and female labor market participation.

In a separate line of research, she investigates the factors that shape individual preferences and beliefs - including those related to labor market decisions. By exploring how social norms, cultural contexts, and cognitive biases influence economic behavior, she enriches our understanding of the intricate interplay between psychology and economics, leading to more comprehensive policy recommendations.

Livia is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Business School. She obtained her PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from UC Berkeley in 2023. Before embarking in her graduate studies, she gained extensive practical experience by working with several international organizations, including the World Bank, the OECD, and the United Nations. She holds a BSc and MSc from Bocconi University.

Recent work by Livia Alfonsi