Oliver Schlenker

1. Why are you interested in the study of inequality?

I am fascinated by the fact that inequality not only directly affects everyone in daily life, but that it is often also an unintended and ill-considered consequence of political and economic actions. This makes inequality research a highly relevant and, above all, very multifaceted topic.

2. What are you working on?

I am mainly concerned with the consequences of technological change on the labor market - in other words, with the question of who wins and who loses when companies and economic sectors digitalize and automate.

3. How did you end up here?

During my master's degree, I realized that I always had more questions than there were answers. My research project at the cluster offers me the best prerequisite to satisfy this thirst for knowledge within an interesting complex of topics.

4. Dream research project?

If one is allowed to dream: a representative and very long-term panel study (with questions selected by me, of course) of both employees and their companies. These surveys, in combination with administrative data and cognitive, non-cognitive, and social tests, provide the opportunity to better understand the role of skills and education in the context of changing jobs and occupations.