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Ke (Kerr) Lyu

Assistant Professor of Economics and Statistics Southern Arkansas University
Blanchard Hall 323, 100 E. University, Magnolia, AR 71753

Self Introduction

I am an Assistant Professor of Economics and Statistics in the 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?

News Feed

07/04/2026 — Our paper "The Effect of the Kansas Tax Reform on Self-Employment Hours Worked" has been published in International Tax and Public Finance.
05/01/2026–05/03/2026 — Our paper "How Do Minimum Wages Affect Nonemployer Business Establishments in the United States?" was accepted for presentation at the Society of Labor Economists' 29th Annual Meeting.