Publications

Journal Articles

• Messacar, D. 2024. "Labor supply responses to income taxation among older couples: Evidence from a Canadian reform." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 16 (1): 228-258.

  • • Earlier version: Retirement and Savings Institute Working Paper, no. 10.

    • Policy summary: Retirement and Savings Institute Research Highlights.

• Baker, M., Y. Halberstam, K. Kroft, A. Mas, and D. Messacar. 2023. "Pay transparency and the gender gap." American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 15 (2): 157-183.

  • • Earlier version: NBER Working Paper Series, no. 25834. Cambridge: National Bureau of Economic Research.

    • Earlier version: Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series, no 430. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11F0019M. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Baker, M., D. Messacar, and M. Stabile. 2023. "The effects of child tax benefits on poverty and labour supply: Evidence from the Canada Child Benefit and Universal Child Care Benefit." Journal of Labor Economics 41 (4): 1129-1182.

  • • Earlier version: NBER Working Paper, no. 28556. Cambridge: National Bureau of Economic Research.

    • Earlier version: CEPR Working Paper, no. 15937. London: Centre for Economic Policy Research.

• Laurin, M., D. Messacar, and P.-C. Michaud. 2023. "Financial literacy and the timing of tax-preferred savings account withdrawals." Journal of Accounting and Public Policy 42 (2): 106922.

• Earlier version: Research Chair in Intergenerational Economics Working Paper, no. 21-06. Montréal: Retirement and Savings Institute.

• Messacar, D. 2023. "Loss-averse tax manipulation and tax-preferred savings." Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 207: 257-278.

  • • Earlier version: Retirement and Savings Institute Working Paper, no. 8.

• Messacar, D. 2022. "Inter-jurisdictional retirement in Canada." Canadian Public Policy 48 (S2): 5-21.

• Messacar, D. 2022. "Sense of belonging, job loss and regional labour mobility in Canada: Evidence from the Great Recession." Canadian Journal of Economics 55 (3): 1404–1430.

• Messacar, D., T. Handler, and M. Frenette. 2021. "Predicting earnings losses from graduating during COVID-19." Canadian Public Policy 47 (2): 301–315.

• Messacar, D.  2021. "Employment, child care spending, and child tax benefits." National Tax Journal 74 (2, Forum): 553–575.

• Messacar, D., and R. Morissette. 2020. "The long-term effects of employer-sponsored pension plans on non-workplace returns on investments." Journal of Pension Economics and Finance 19 (2): 198–216.

  • • Earlier version: Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series, no. 413. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11F0019M. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Messacar, D., and M. Frenette. 2019. "Education savings plans, matching contributions, and household financial allocations: Evidence from a Canadian reform." Economics of Education Review 101922: 1–11.

• Messacar, D., and P. Kocourek. 2019. "Pathways to retirement, well-being, and mandatory retirement rules: Evidence from Canadian reforms." Journal of Labor Research 40 (3): 249–275.

• Fang, T., and D. Messacar. 2019. "Voluntary job separations and traditional versus flexible workplace saving plans: Evidence from Canada." Canadian Public Policy 45 (2): 239–261.

• Earlier version: IZA Discussion Paper, no. 12262. Bonn: Institute of Labor Economics.

• Messacar, D. 2018. "Crowd-out, education, and employer contributions to workplace pensions: Evidence from Canadian tax records." Review of Economics and Statistics 100 (4): 648–663.

• Messacar, D. 2018. "The effect of tax withholding on pre-retirement savings withdrawals: Evidence from Canada." Journal of Pension Economics and Finance 17 (4): 534–553.

• Messacar, D. 2018. "The effects of vesting and locking in pension assets on participation in employer-sponsored pension plans." Journal of Labor Research 39 (2): 178–200.

• Messacar, D. 2017. "Big tax data and economic analysis: Effects of personal income tax reassessments and delayed tax filing." Canadian Public Policy 43 (3): 261–282.

  • • Earlier version: Analytical Studies: Methods and References, no. 012. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11-633-X. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Messacar, D. 2014. "Persistent unemployment and the generosity of welfare states." Review of Social Economy 72 (3): 379–415.

Discussion Papers

Messacar, D., M. Frenette, and T. Handler. 2021. The cost of graduating during COVID-19. Intelligence Memos. Toronto: C.D. Howe Institute.

Baker, M., Y. Halberstam, K. Kroft, A. Mas, and D. Messacar. 2020. Can pay transparency laws fix the gender wage gap? Harvard Business Review. Brighton: Harvard Business Publishing.

Messacar, D., and P. Oreopoulos. 2012. Staying in school: A proposal to raise high school graduation rates. Discussion Paper 2012-07, The Hamilton Project. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution.

• Reprinted as: "Staying in school: A proposal for raising high-school graduation rates." Issues in Science and Technology 29 (2): 55–61. 

Technical Reports (Excluding reports listed as earlier versions of peer-reviewed publications and working papers.)

• Messacar, D., P.-C. Michaud, and M. Laurin. 2022. Understanding the tax implications of registered retirement savings plans. Economic and Social Reports. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 36-28-0001. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Messacar, D. 2021. The effects of child tax benefits on the income of single mothers. Economic and Social Reports. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 36-28-0001. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Morissette, R., Z. Deng, and D. Messacar. 2021. Working from home: Potential implications for public transit and greenhouse gas emissions. Economic and Social Reports. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 36-28-0001. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Deng, Z., R. Morissette, and D. Messacar. 2020. Running the economy remotely: Potential for working from home during and after COVID-19. Statcan COVID-19 Series. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 45280001. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Frenette, M., D. Messacar, and T. Handler. 2020. Potential earnings losses among high school and postsecondary graduates due to the COVID-19 economic downturn. Economic Insights, no. 114. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11-626-X. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Frenette, M., D. Messacar, and T. Handler. 2020. To what extent might COVID-19 affect the earnings of the class of 2020? Statcan COVID-19 Series. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 45280001. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Messacar, D., and R. Morissette. 2020. Work interruptions and financial vulnerability. Statcan COVID-19 Series. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 45280001. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Messacar, D., R. Morissette, and Z. Deng. 2020. Inequality in the feasibility of working from home during and after COVID-19. Statcan COVID-19 Series. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 45280001. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Messacar, D. 2018. Market behaviour versus tax-planning responses to changes in marginal income tax rates among older couples. Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series, no. 410. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11F0019M. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Messacar, D. 2017. Intra-household labour income responses to changes in tax rates among older workers. Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series, no. 400. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11F0019M. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• He, J., D. Messacar, and Y. Ostrovsky. 2017. The relationship between firm size and age of workforce: A cross-industry analysis for Canada. Analytical Studies: Methods and References, no. 010. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11-633-X. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Messacar, D. 2017. The effects of education on Canadians’ retirement savings behaviour. Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series, no. 391. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11F0019M. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Messacar, D. 2017. Trends in RRSP contributions and pre-retirement withdrawals, 2000 to 2013. Economic Insights, no. 064. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11-626-X. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Messacar, D., and R. Morissette. 2015. Employer pensions and the wealth of Canadian families. Insights on Canadian Society. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 75-006-X. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

• Messacar, D. 2015. Do workplace pensions crowd-out other retirement savings? Evidence from Canadian tax records. Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series, no. 371. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11F0019M. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 

Other Publications

Messacar, D. 2016. Three essays on the behavioural economics of saving for retirement. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Toronto.