October 27, 2010. City policymakers deserve the benefit of a rigorous study that looks at the actual costs and benefits of extending living wage standards to subsidized development projects. This brief looks at the track record of the lead economist, David Neumark, for the management consulting firm selected by the New York City Economic Development Corporation to conduct a study of the possible economic impact of wage requirements on projects subsidized by the City. The brief examines the extensive criticism of Neumark’s past labor market analyses and calls for an external review panel of prominent economists to provide critical feedback on the EDC living wage study.