Jason M. Ward

Associate Economist

Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in economics, University of Illinois; M.A. in economics, University of Illinois; B.A. in economics, University of Illinois

One Page Bio

Overview

Jason Ward is an associate economist at the RAND Corporation. His work uses the tools of applied microeconomics to study labor market participation, education, health, and links between these domains. His research has assessed the effect of four-day school weeks on parental employment, the effect of parental involvement laws on abortions to minors, the effects of performance-based state higher education funding systems on student outcomes, the nature of geographic variation in health care utilization, and the association between education and health over the life course. Current projects include developing tools to measure the gap between the earnings of military service members and their potential earnings in the civilian labor market, assessing changes in veterans labor market and health outcomes over time, estimating the willingness to pay (in home price) for multiple measures of elementary school quality in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and estimating the association between unemployment and substance use/abuse using seasonal variation in employment across occupations and industries.

Research Focus

Commentary

Industry Mix in L.A. Area Helps Explain Recent Record Unemployment Rates
The Los Angeles Combined Statistical Area reported more than 270,000 job cuts between March and early August. Considering which industries have cut jobs may provide a window into the area's unique labor market and help explain how the area currently has among the highest unemployment in the nation.
Aug 25, 2020 The RAND Blog
L.A. Has the Nation's Highest Unemployment. For Some Groups, It's Even Worse Than That.
Los Angeles and its neighboring counties are among the areas hardest hit by the COVID-19 recession. The shockingly high average unemployment rates only tell part of the story, however. For the poor and some racial and ethnic groups, the jobs picture is far worse.
Aug 6, 2020 The RAND Blog
Declining Commercial Real Estate Demand May Provide an Opportunity to Help Address California's Housing Crisis
The pandemic has led to an estimated 175,000 business closures this spring. And an estimated 40 percent of employed people are working from home full-time. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reallocate portions of the built environment toward the urgent demand for affordable housing.
Jul 20, 2020 CalMatters
To Preserve Jobs, America's Employers May Have to Get Creative
With about 38.6 million Americans filing for unemployment insurance benefits since the end of February, it is clear that COVID-19 has turned the world of work upside down. One way to reduce the economic damage may be job-sharing, an approach that focuses on maximizing jobs by reducing workers' hours rather than resorting to layoffs or furloughs.
May 26, 2020 CNN
From Lockdown to Locked Out: Coronavirus and the Looming Crisis in Rental Housing
Housing security is vital to individual and collective well-being. It's also a key component in the nation's economic performance. The looming coronavirus eviction crisis suggests the need to address the systemic problem of housing affordability and security now.
Apr 30, 2020 Dallas Morning News