n a new CSAE working paper, we compare districts where NREGA was introduced first to districts where it came into force later to estimate the impact of the program on rural employment and wages. We show that the introduction of the program is correlated with an increase in public employment and an equivalent fall in non-public employment. The daily wage for casual work increases by 5.5%. These effects are concentrated during the first half of the year when most NREGA employment is provided. Independent studies yield similar findings.