Ke (Kerr) Lyu

Self Introduction

I am an Assistant Professor of Economics and Statistics in the David F. Rankin College of Business at Southern Arkansas University.

My research fields are Labor Economics, Economics of Entrepreneurship, and Public Economics. Broadly, my research examines how public policies and individual factors shape entrepreneurial activity, especially in “fragile” or early-stage ventures such as solo self-employment, nonemployer firms, and unincorporated businesses. Two key questions guide my research:

❓What drives self-employment? Is it driven primarily by opportunity or necessity in high- and middle-income countries?

❓To what extent can policies designed to promote self-employment improve social welfare?