Unemployment and online search patterns

One of my current research topics relates to online search patterns and labor market indicators. Of particular interest is the correlation between search patters for social (ex. divorce) and health (stress, anxiety) issues and unemployment as measured by both the rate (monthly) and unemployment insurance claims (weekly).

I started this project earlier this year with my student assistant Kerry Murphy. Kerry gathered a tremendous amount of data relating to search patterns for our predetermined list of social and health issues. Additionally she collected unemployment rate and claims data between 2004 and the present.

Now it is my turn to get to work. Roanoke College is currently on fall break and I am using this time to catch up on some much neglected research time (and blogging). Already there appears to be a relationship between searches for "stress" and "unemployment" (a proxy for the unemployment rate) in the Roanoke-Lynchburg, Virginia region between 2004 and 2012 as you can see in the graphic below.

My econometrics students are currently working on their research projects. I hope to get their feedback on this online search pattern and economic indicator manuscript over the course of the semester.

Any ideas on other search terms, either social or health related, that might be correlated with the unemployment rate or unemployment insurance claims? Send them my way!

Writing for Women Talk Sports

A little over a month ago I started blogging for the site "Women Talk Sports." Their mission statement reads:

With the goal of promoting and empowering female athleticism, WomenTalkSports.com is an online network that connects the best blogs relating to women's sports. The site aims to raise the level of awareness of women in sport by providing comprehensive sport coverage, spotlighting outstanding achievements, and working with sporting associations on advocacy issues and empowering programs.


This is a unique opportunity to combine my research and running interests. I am honored to be a part of such a great group.

My husband and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary by attending the US Track and Field Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, OR. In addition to tweeting race updates using the iPhone app Splitcaster, I wrote reviews of the major distance running days and had the honor of interviewing several fantastic female athletes, including Stephanie Brown-Trafton, Lauren Bonds and Kara Goucher for WTS. The SBT interview is posted and the others are upcoming.

Who knows if my institution will count the posts for WTS, which do go through an editor, in my tally towards  Full Professor. Regardless, it is an exciting new adventure that serves as a reprieve to the hours of OLS, heteroskedasticity and serial correlation.

You can read and share my posts for Women Talk Sports at http://www.womentalksports.com/profiles/view/3540.

Enjoy,