Labor Supply under Temporary Wage Increases: Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment (opens in new tab)

We conduct a pre-registered randomized controlled trial to test for income targeting in labor supply decisions among sellers of a Swedish street paper. Unlike most workers, these sellers choose their own hours and face severe liquidity constraints and volatile incomes. Treated individuals received a 25 percent bonus per copy sold for the duration of an issue, simulating an increase in earnings potential. Consistent with standard labor supply...