Essays in spatial economics and inequality

This thesis examines inequality both over space and in labor markets. The first chapter finds that birth location strongly affects educational outcomes in Benin Cameroon, and Mali --- opportunity is unevenly distributed over space. Place matters more for girls than boys, and local characteristics such as urbanization, access to electricity, and agricultural employment play a key role. Religion is also found to be correlated with gender differences in the effect of place on educational attainment. The second chapter uses historical road maps, a novel identification strategy, and a quantitative spatial economics framework, to show how road building alters the spatial distribution of opportunity. Some roads decrease inequality while others increase it. The chapter also highlights the equity-efficiency trade-off that policymakers face when choosing which roads to upgrade. Finally, the third chapter explores the role of occupations in explaining wage inequality using a two-way fixed effect model on UK administrative data. It finds that between-occupation heterogeneity accounts for a substantial proportion of log-wage variance, particularly in higher-wage occupations and larger labor markets. Overall, this thesis sheds light on the complex and interconnected factors shaping spatial inequality and suggests policy implications for promoting equitable access to opportunity.