In this dissertation, I present three distinct topics on labor economics that can be read independently from one another. In the first chapter, using matched mother-child data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, I investigate the impact of mothers' involuntary job loss on children's academic achievement. In the next chapter, I examine the impact of eye and hair color on wages-at-first-job after schooling. In addition, I investigate whether hair color has an impact on the wage-at-the-first-job if the individual resides among people who have similar features. In the last chapter, I examine the impact of unemployment insurance benefit generosity on benefit duration and labor market transitions in Turkey with a regression discontinuity design. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]