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This thesis consists of three self-contained papers that use methods in applied microeconometrics to study questions involving gender, housing, and peers.

In the first paper, we examine whether gender gaps in labor market outcomes are driven by differences in productivity. Using the as-if random allocation of job seekers to caseworkers at the Swedish Employment Agency, we are able to calculate productivity levels without bias from task assignment. The results show that women are as productive as men and earn comparable wages. However, the gender gap in promotions persists, despite women having the same productivity as men. Moreover, female caseworkers tend to manage fewer job seekers and work fewer hours, which explains most of the observed earnings gap.

The second paper aims to explore how housing affordability and stability affect academic success. To identify causal effects, I use a lottery-based allocation system in Sweden that randomizes the timing of access to affordable student housing. The results show that early access to these housing units improves grades and class rank. The effects are larger for the sample of international students. Survey data suggest that these students are less likely to work, have shorter commutes, and have greater housing stability, which may help explain the positive impact on education.

In the third paper we study long-term impacts of early exposure to peers from different backgrounds. Leveraging comprehensive Danish register data, this study examines how higher exposure to non-Western peers in childcare centers influences the educational and crime outcomes of native Danish children in their adolescent. We use the as-if random variation in peer composition across entry-year cohorts, within childcare centers to causally estimate the effects. Our findings show that exposure to a higher share of non-Western peers negatively
affects Danish and mathematics test scores and the probability of choosing the academic track in high school. We find no evidence of effects on criminal outcomes.