
Simon Says: Weekly earnings depend on where you live
The average weekly earnings in the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in 2021 was $898. In Atlanta, it was $1,070 and just $682 in Hinesville (see the first chart). In fact, there is quite a clear relationship between the size of MSA, as measured by population, and average weekly earnings (see the second chart). The line of best fit is clearly upward sloping, showing the positive relationship between population and earnings. Why do workers earn more in larger cities than their colleagues in smaller ones? A new paper by Theodore








