Roberto Iacono
Om
Link to my personal webpage: robertoiacono.org
I am a Professor in Economics (with focus on Social and Welfare Policy) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. I am a Visiting Senior Fellow at the LSE International Inequalities Institute (LSE III), CESifo Research Network Affiliate, Managing Editor of the Journal of Income Distribution (JID), and Fellow of the World Inequality Database (WID.World). In 2025-2026 I will be visiting the EUI (Dept. of Economics), and Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies (Inst. of Economics). I have previously been Visiting Professor at the University of Siena (DEPS), and Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). I am a project participant of the RCN-funded project "Make Taxation Fair" (FRIPRO, NOK 11.8 million, 2021-2026).
I hold a PhD in Economics from the Department of Economics at NTNU (graduation year 2015). My recent research is at the intersection between Public and Applied Economics, with a focus on (i) behavioural responses to capital taxation, (ii) the measurement of income and wealth inequality, and (iii) microeconometric questions related to active labor market policy and welfare interventions. I teach and supervise students at the interdisciplinary department of Social Work at NTNU, giving lectures (in Norwegian) in courses such as "Politics, Welfare and Inequality", "Social and Welfare Policy", and "Quantitative Methods".
I am also a Member of the Scientific Committee of the Journal of Public Finance and Public Choice (JPFPC), Country Lead for Norway of the Global Labor Organization (GLO). My updated CV is here. More details on my papers can also be found here: IDEAS/RePEc, Google Scholar, Cristin, Scopus.
Journal publications:
[18] Iacono R. (2025), “The Welfare versus Work Paradox”. PLOS One 20(5): e0321564. Featured in [Gemini]. (NSD:1).
[17] Iacono R. and Smedsvik B. (2025), “(In)visible sanctions: micro-level evidence on compulsory activation for young welfare recipients”. Journal of Social Policy, 54(3): 751-771. (NSD:2; AJG:3).
[16] Iacono R. and Marino M. and Mollerstrom J. (2024), “Misperceptions, Policy Preferences and Polarization”. European J of Political Economy, Volume 85, 102578. (NSD:1, AJG:2).
[15] Iacono R. and E. Palagi (2023), "A micro perspective on r > g". Economica; 90: 531-556. Featured in [VoxEU], [A Correction podcast]. (NSD:2, AJG:3).
[14] Iacono R. and M. Ranaldi (2023), "The evolution of income composition inequality in Italy, 1989-2016". Review of Income and Wealth (NSD:1, AJG:3).
[13] Iacono R. and E. Palagi (2022), "Still the Lands of Equality? Heterogeneity of Income Composition in the Nordics, 1975–2016". The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 22(2): 221-268. (NSD:1, AJG:2).
[12] Faccio T. and Iacono R. (2022), “Corporate Income Taxation and Inequality: Review and discussion of issues raised in - The triumph of injustice: How the rich dodge taxes and how to make them pay”. Review of Income and Wealth, 68: 819-829. (NSD:1, AJG:3).
[11] D’Agostino A., Iacono R. and Smedsvik B. (2022), “Immigration and Social Assistance: evidence from the Norwegian welfare state”. Social Policy & Administration, 56( 4), 648– 660. (NSD:1, AJG:2).
[10] Iacono R. and M. Ranaldi (2021), "The nexus between perceptions of inequality and preferences for redistribution". Journal of Economic Inequality, 19(1): 97-114. (NSD:1, AJG:2).
[9] Iacono R. and M. Viccaro (2021), "The Basilicata Wealth Fund". Scienze Regionali - Italian Journal of Regional Science, 20: 577-594. Preprint. (NSD:1).
[8] Iacono R. and M. Ranaldi (2020), "The Wage Curve across the Wealth Distribution", Economics Letters, Volume 196, November 2020, 109580. Featured in [VoxEU], [Naked Capitalism]. (NSD:1, AJG:3).
[7] Iacono R. (2019), "The Norwegian Oil Bonanza and the Scandinavian Model in Comparative Perspective", Comparative Economic Studies, 61(1): 63-82. Preprint. (NSD:1, AJG:1).
[6] Iacono R. (2018), "The Nordic Model of Economic Development and Welfare: Recent Developments and Future Prospects", Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, 53(4): 185-190. (NSD:1, AJG:1).
[5] Iacono R. (2018), “The Dutch Disease revisited: absorption constraint and learning by doing”, Portuguese Economic Journal, 17(1): 61-85. Preprint. (NSD:1, AJG:1).
[4] Iacono R. (2017), “Minimum Income Schemes in Europe: is there a trade-off with activation policies?”, IZA Journal of European Labor Studies; 6:1 (now IZA Journal of Labor Policy). (NSD:1, AJG:1).
[3] Iacono R. (2017), "A comparison of fiscal rules for resource-rich economies", Economic Analysis and Policy, 55: 179-193. Preprint. (NSD:1, AJG:1).
[2] Iacono R. (2016), “No blessing, no curse? On the benefits of being a resource-rich southern region of Italy”, Research in Economics, 70 (2): 346-359. Preprint. (NSD:1, AJG:1).
[1] Iacono R. (2014), “On the interplay between intergenerational transfers and natural resources”, South-Eastern Europe Journal of Economics, 12(2): 167-199. (NSD:1).
Working papers & Work in progress:
[5] Iacono R. and Smedsvik B., "Behavioral responses to wealth taxation: evidence from a Norwegian reform". CESifo Working Paper No. 11335. Submitted. Media coverage: Cato Institute and Dagens Næringsliv.
[4] Iacono R. and K. Vadlamannati, “Unintended Consequences of Externally Aided Projects on Fiscal Transfers: a sub-national study of India”. CESifo Working Paper No. 11498. R&R World Development.
[3] Iacono R. and Smedsvik B., "Compulsory activation of young welfare recipients: revisiting the trade-off between workfare and welfare generosity". R&R Socio-Economic Review.
[2] Berman Y., Bozbay I., Iacono R., and Vesperoni A., “Measuring Wealth: Income Capitalization with Heterogeneous Rates of Return”. Slides available here.
[1] Buhler J., Iacono R. and Ranaldi M., “Capital and Labor Income Mobility”. Work in progress.
Book reviews:
[3] Iacono R. (2019), Review of "Capitalism, Alone" by Branko Milanovic. LSE Review of Books.
[2] Iacono R. (2019), Review of "Measuring Poverty around the World" by Tony Atkinson. LSE Review of Books.
[1] Iacono R. (2018), Review of "The Great Leveler: Violence and the History of Inequality from the Stone Age to the Twenty-First Century" by Walter Scheidel. LSE Review of Books.
Blog posts, interviews, op-eds:
2025-4-14. Article, Dagsavisen: «Vi må snu om på EU-debatten».
2024-4-22. Interview, DN: «Forskere har analysert skattestunt – slik gikk det i Bø». (in Norwegian).
2023-9-14. Article, Menabó: “Reddito minimo e condizionalità: lezioni dall’esperienza della Norvegia”. (in Italian).
2022-10-22. Interview, TV2: "Vanskelig å spå hvor radikal hun blir" (in Norwegian).
2022-9-26. Interview, Norwegian Public Radio NRK Studio 2 (in Norwegian).
2022-8-3. Interview, VG: «Første gang siden krigen: − Det er fascister i den mulige regjeringen» (in Norwegian).
2022-7-30. Interview, Dagsavisen: «Høyresida med valg-gambling i Italia» (in Norwegian).
2022-7-18. Interview, Dagens Næringsliv: «Problemene har toppet seg i Italia» (in Norwegian).
2020-4-5. Op-ed, Forskning.no: "I Italia er ikke økonomi en del av korona-debatten" (in Norwegian).
2020-4-2. Interview, Gemini: "Til og med Prada og Gucci produserer helseutstyr nå" (in Norwegian).
2019-8-20. Interview, Dagens Næringsliv: "Italias statsminister trekker seg" (in Norwegian).
2018-11-27. Interview, Norwegian Public Radio NRK Alltid Nyheter (in Norwegian).
2018-9-21. Blog article, INET: “The Rise of the Radical Right in Scandinavia”.
Publikasjoner
2025
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Smedsvik, Bård.
(2025)
NAV straffer trygdemottakere vilkårlig.
Forskning.no
Kronikk
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2025)
Vi må snu om på EU-debatten.
Dagsavisen
Kronikk
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2025)
The Welfare versus Work Paradox.
PLOS ONE
Vitenskapelig artikkel
2024
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Smedsvik, Bård.
(2024)
Behavioral Responses to Wealth Taxation: Evidence from a Norwegian Reform.
CESifo Working Papers
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Vadlamannati, Krishna Chaitanya.
(2024)
Unintended Consequences of Externally Aided Projects on Fiscal Transfers: A Subnational Study of India.
CESifo Working Papers
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Marino, Maria;
Iacono, Roberto;
Mollerstrom, Johanna.
(2024)
(Mis-)Perceptions, information, and political polarization: A survey and a systematic literature review.
European Journal of Political Economy
Vitenskapelig oversiktsartikkel/review
2023
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2023)
REDDITO MINIMO E CONDIZIONALITÀ: LEZIONI DALL’ESPERIENZA DELLA NORVEGIA.
Menabò di Etica ed Economia
Populærvitenskapelig artikkel
-
Ness, Ottar;
Heimburg, Dina von;
Karlsson, Bengt Eirik;
Kilkku, Nina;
Turnaas, Sanna;
Vamstad, Johan.
(2023)
Shaping a Wellbeing Future for People and Planet.
Nordisk tidsskrift for livskvalitet og bærekraftig velferdsutvikling
Leder
-
Smedsvik, Bård;
Iacono, Roberto.
(2023)
(In)visible Sanctions: Micro-level Evidence on Compulsory Activation for Young Welfare Recipients.
Journal of Social Policy
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Palagi, Elisa.
(2023)
A Micro Perspective on r > g.
Economica
Vitenskapelig artikkel
2022
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Palagi, Elisa.
(2022)
Still the Lands of Equality? Heterogeneity of Income Composition in the Nordics, 1975–2016.
The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Ness, Ottar;
Heimburg, Dina von;
Karlsson, Bengt;
Kilkku, Nina;
Turnaas, Sanna;
Vamstad, Johan.
(2022)
Welcome to the Nordic Journal of Wellbeing and Sustainable Welfare Development(NJWEL).
Nordisk tidsskrift for livskvalitet og bærekraftig velferdsutvikling
Leder
-
Smedsvik, Bård;
Iacono, Roberto;
D'Agostino, Antonella.
(2022)
Immigration and social assistance: Evidence from the Norwegian welfare state.
Social Policy & Administration
Vitenskapelig artikkel
2021
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Ranaldi, Marco.
(2021)
The Evolution of Income Composition Inequality in Italy, 1989–2016.
The Review of Income and Wealth
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Viccaro, Mauro.
(2021)
The Basilicata Wealth Fund.
Scienze Regionali
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Faccio, Tommaso;
Iacono, Roberto.
(2021)
Corporate Income Taxation and Inequality: Review and Discussion of Issues Raised in The triumph of injustice—How the rich dodge taxes and how to make them pay (2019).
The Review of Income and Wealth
Vitenskapelig oversiktsartikkel/review
2020
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Ranaldi, Marco.
(2020)
The nexus between perceptions of inequality and preferences for redistribution.
Journal of Economic Inequality
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Ranaldi, Marco.
(2020)
The wage curve across the wealth distribution.
Economics Letters
Vitenskapelig artikkel
2018
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2018)
The Nordic Model of Economic Development and Welfare: Recent Developments and Future Prospects.
Intereconomics. Review of European Economic Policy
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2018)
The Norwegian Oil Bonanza and the Scandinavian Model in Comparative Perspective.
Comparative Economic Studies
Vitenskapelig artikkel
2017
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2017)
The Dutch disease revisited: absorption constraint and learning by doing.
Portuguese Economic Journal
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2017)
A comparison of fiscal rules for resource-rich
economies.
Economic Analysis and Policy
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2017)
Minimum income schemes in Europe: is there a trade-off with activation policies?.
IZA Journal of European Labor Studies
Vitenskapelig artikkel
2016
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2016)
No blessing, no curse? On the benefits of being a resource-rich southern region of Italy.
Research in Economics
Vitenskapelig artikkel
2015
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2015)
Essays on the Macroeconomics of Natural Resources.
NTNU - Department of Economics
Doktorgradsavhandling
2014
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2014)
On the Interplay between Intergenerational Transfers and Natural Resources.
South-Eastern Europe Journal of Economics
Vitenskapelig artikkel
Tidsskriftspublikasjoner
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Smedsvik, Bård.
(2025)
NAV straffer trygdemottakere vilkårlig.
Forskning.no
Kronikk
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2025)
Vi må snu om på EU-debatten.
Dagsavisen
Kronikk
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2025)
The Welfare versus Work Paradox.
PLOS ONE
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Smedsvik, Bård.
(2024)
Behavioral Responses to Wealth Taxation: Evidence from a Norwegian Reform.
CESifo Working Papers
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Vadlamannati, Krishna Chaitanya.
(2024)
Unintended Consequences of Externally Aided Projects on Fiscal Transfers: A Subnational Study of India.
CESifo Working Papers
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Marino, Maria;
Iacono, Roberto;
Mollerstrom, Johanna.
(2024)
(Mis-)Perceptions, information, and political polarization: A survey and a systematic literature review.
European Journal of Political Economy
Vitenskapelig oversiktsartikkel/review
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2023)
REDDITO MINIMO E CONDIZIONALITÀ: LEZIONI DALL’ESPERIENZA DELLA NORVEGIA.
Menabò di Etica ed Economia
Populærvitenskapelig artikkel
-
Ness, Ottar;
Heimburg, Dina von;
Karlsson, Bengt Eirik;
Kilkku, Nina;
Turnaas, Sanna;
Vamstad, Johan.
(2023)
Shaping a Wellbeing Future for People and Planet.
Nordisk tidsskrift for livskvalitet og bærekraftig velferdsutvikling
Leder
-
Smedsvik, Bård;
Iacono, Roberto.
(2023)
(In)visible Sanctions: Micro-level Evidence on Compulsory Activation for Young Welfare Recipients.
Journal of Social Policy
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Palagi, Elisa.
(2023)
A Micro Perspective on r > g.
Economica
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Palagi, Elisa.
(2022)
Still the Lands of Equality? Heterogeneity of Income Composition in the Nordics, 1975–2016.
The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Ness, Ottar;
Heimburg, Dina von;
Karlsson, Bengt;
Kilkku, Nina;
Turnaas, Sanna;
Vamstad, Johan.
(2022)
Welcome to the Nordic Journal of Wellbeing and Sustainable Welfare Development(NJWEL).
Nordisk tidsskrift for livskvalitet og bærekraftig velferdsutvikling
Leder
-
Smedsvik, Bård;
Iacono, Roberto;
D'Agostino, Antonella.
(2022)
Immigration and social assistance: Evidence from the Norwegian welfare state.
Social Policy & Administration
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Ranaldi, Marco.
(2021)
The Evolution of Income Composition Inequality in Italy, 1989–2016.
The Review of Income and Wealth
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Viccaro, Mauro.
(2021)
The Basilicata Wealth Fund.
Scienze Regionali
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Faccio, Tommaso;
Iacono, Roberto.
(2021)
Corporate Income Taxation and Inequality: Review and Discussion of Issues Raised in The triumph of injustice—How the rich dodge taxes and how to make them pay (2019).
The Review of Income and Wealth
Vitenskapelig oversiktsartikkel/review
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Ranaldi, Marco.
(2020)
The nexus between perceptions of inequality and preferences for redistribution.
Journal of Economic Inequality
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto;
Ranaldi, Marco.
(2020)
The wage curve across the wealth distribution.
Economics Letters
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2018)
The Nordic Model of Economic Development and Welfare: Recent Developments and Future Prospects.
Intereconomics. Review of European Economic Policy
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2018)
The Norwegian Oil Bonanza and the Scandinavian Model in Comparative Perspective.
Comparative Economic Studies
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2017)
The Dutch disease revisited: absorption constraint and learning by doing.
Portuguese Economic Journal
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2017)
A comparison of fiscal rules for resource-rich
economies.
Economic Analysis and Policy
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2017)
Minimum income schemes in Europe: is there a trade-off with activation policies?.
IZA Journal of European Labor Studies
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2016)
No blessing, no curse? On the benefits of being a resource-rich southern region of Italy.
Research in Economics
Vitenskapelig artikkel
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2014)
On the Interplay between Intergenerational Transfers and Natural Resources.
South-Eastern Europe Journal of Economics
Vitenskapelig artikkel
Rapport
-
Iacono, Roberto.
(2015)
Essays on the Macroeconomics of Natural Resources.
NTNU - Department of Economics
Doktorgradsavhandling
Undervisning
Emner
Formidling
2025
-
Intervju
2024
-
IntervjuIacono, Roberto. (2024) Forskere har analysert skattestunt – slik gikk det i Bø. Dagens Næringsliv Dagens Næringsliv [Avis] 2024-04-22
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2024) Behavioral responses to wealth taxation: evidence from a Norwegian reform. LSE III research seminar 2024-03-19 - 2024-03-19
2022
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2022) A micro perspective on r>g. University of Naples Federico II DISES research seminar , Naples 2022-04-13 -
-
IntervjuIacono, Roberto. (2022) Problemene har toppet seg i Italia. Dagens Næringsliv Dagens Næringsliv [Avis] 2022-07-18
-
IntervjuIacono, Roberto. (2022) Første gang siden krigen: − Det er fascister i den mulige regjeringen. VG VG [Avis] 2022-08-03
-
IntervjuIacono, Roberto. (2022) Høyresida med valg-gambling i Italia. Dagsavisen Dagsavisen [Avis] 2022-07-30
-
Intervju
2021
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2021) A micro perspective on r>g. University of Siena Research seminar at the Department of Economics - University of Siena , Siena 2021-06-23 - 2021-06-23
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2021) A micro perspective on r>g. Society for the study of Economic Inequality ECINEQ Annual Conference 2021-07-08 - 2021-07-10
2020
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2020) Still the lands of equality? On the heterogeneity of individual factor income shares in the Nordics. BI Norwegian Business School Forskningsseminar 2020-12-15 -
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2020) Income Composition Inequality: evidence from the Nordics. Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) , Luxembourg 2020-01-24 - 2020-01-24
2019
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2019) Sources of Inequality in Italy. ECINEQ 2019 - 8th meeting of the society for the study of economic inequality , Paris 2019-07-03 - 2019-07-05
-
IntervjuIacono, Roberto. (2019) Italias statsminister trekker seg. Dagens Næringsliv. 20.08.2019. [Avis] 2019-08-20
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2019) Sources of inequality in Italy. SIECON 60th annual conference of the Italian Economic Association , Palermo 2019-10-24 - 2019-10-26
2018
-
Intervju
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2018) The Norwegian Oil Bonanza and the Scandinavian Model in Comparative Perspective. Partenope University of Naples EPEI 2018 , Napoli 2018-09-28 - 2018-09-29
2017
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2017) The Nordic model and the oil nation. Universitet i Oslo UiO Nordic 2017 , Oslo 2017-03-20 - 2017-03-22
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2017) The Nordic model of economic development: shocks, reforms and future prospects. PhD Workshop at the University of Zadar 2017-10-02 - 2017-10-03
-
Faglig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2017) Borgerlønn og de nordiske velferdsstatene: nødvendighet eller utopi?. Samfunnsviterne - Samfunnsøkonomene Frokostmøte Samfunnsviterne - Samfunnsøkonomene , Danske Bank, Trondheim 2017-03-30 - 2017-03-30
2016
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2016) The Nordic Model and the Oil Nation. EEA-ESEM European Economic Association 31st Annual Conference , Geneve 2016-08-22 - 2016-08-26
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2016) The Nordic Model and the Oil Nation. 18th Annual Conference of the International Network for Economic Research (INFER) , Reus 2016-06-08 - 2016-06-10
2015
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2015) No blessing, no curse? On the benefits of being a resource-rich southern region of Italy. University of Oxford Fourth Global Conference on Economic Geography 2015 , Oxford 2015-08-19 - 2015-08-22
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2015) No blessing, no curse? On the benefits of being a resource-rich southern region of Italy. The Italian Economic Association 56th ANNUAL CONFERENCE , Napoli 2015-10-22 - 2015-10-24
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Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2015) No blessing, no curse? On the benefits of being a resource-rich southern region of Italy. Italian Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (IAERE) - Third annual conference , Padua 2015-02-20 - 2015-02-21
2014
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2014) On the interplay between Intergenerational Transfers and Natural Resources. 2nd International PhD Meeting of Thessaloniki in Economics 2014-06-27 - 2014-06-28
-
Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2014) No blessing no curse? On the benefits of being a resource-rich southern region of Italy. NHH Bergen Economics of Energy and Environment Research Conference (BEEER) , Bergen 2014-05-12 - 2014-05-13
2012
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Vitenskapelig foredragIacono, Roberto. (2012) A comparison of fiscal rules for resource-rich economies. Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) Spring Meeting of Young Economists (SMYE) , Mannheim 2012-04-26 - 2012-04-28