Ex-Prez adviser Krueger dies in suicide
Alan Krueger, a Princeton University economist and a top adviser under two Presidents, has died at age 58 after taking his own life.
“It is with tremendous sadness we share that Prof. Alan B. Krueger, beloved husband, father, son, brother and Princeton professor of economics, took his own life over the weekend,” a statement from his family reads.
“The family requests the time and space to grieve and remember him. In lieu of flowers, we encourage those wishing to honor Alan to make a contribution to the charity of their choice.”
His passing was initially announced Monday by Princeton, which praised him as “a true leader in his field, known and admired for both his research and teaching.”
Krueger was chief economist at the Labor Department under President Bill Clinton from 1994 to 1995, and chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers under President Barack Obama from 2011 to 2013.
“A valued member of the Princeton University community for over three decades, Alan will be deeply missed by his students and colleagues,” the statement from Princeton reads. “The university asks that the privacy of the Krueger family be respected at this difficult time.”
The release added that information on a public celebration of Krueger’s “life and legacy will be released at a future date.”
Krueger was also known for his research that found that increasing the minimum wage did not raise unemployment.
The 1994 study co-authored with David Card was titled, “Minimum Wages and Employment: A Case Study of the Fast-Food Industry in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.”
The research looked at the effects of New Jersey’s minimum wage rising to $5.05 an hour from $4.25 on April 1, 1992. Comparisons were made with Pennsylvania, where the minimum wage did not change at the time. To get a sense of the impact, 410 fast-food restaurants in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania were surveyed before and after the rise.
“We find no indication that the rise in the minimum wage reduced employment,” the study reads.