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Susan N. Houseman

W. E. Upjohn Institute, USA

IZA World of Labor role

Author, Topic spokesperson

Current position

Senior Economist, W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, USA

Research interest

Temporary help employment and contract employment, outsourcing and offshoring, labor market adjustment to demand shocks, short-time compensation, measurement in economic statistics, nonstandard work arrangements, globalization, productivity measurement, work sharing

Website

http://bit.ly/Houseman_Upjohnpage

Positions/functions as a policy advisor

Chair, Technical Advisory Committee to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Past positions

Associate Professor, University of Maryland, USA; Visiting Scholar, Brookings Institution, USA

Qualifications

PhD Economics, Harvard University, 1985

Selected publications

  • “Manufacturers’ outsourcing to staffing services.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 65:3 (July 2012): 533–559 (with M. Dey, and A. Polivka).

  • “Offshoring bias in US manufacturing.” Journal of Economic Perspectives 25:2 (2011): 111–132 (with C. Kurz, P. Lengermann, and B. Mandel).

  • “Do temporary-help jobs improve labor market outcomes for low-skilled workers? Evidence from ‘Work First’”. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 2:3 (2010): 96–128 (with D. H. Autor).

  • “The role of temporary agency employment in tight labor markets.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 57:1 (2003): 105–127 (with A. L. Kalleberg and G. A. Erickcek).

  • “Why employers use flexible staffing arrangements: Evidence from an establishment survey.” Industrial and Labor Relations Review 55:1 (2001): 149–170.

article(s)

  • Temporary agency work

    Temporary agency work is not generally a stepping-stone to regular employment

    Susan N. Houseman, May 2014
    Temporary agency work has expanded in most advanced economies since the 1990s, but its growth has been controversial. Some argue that these jobs offer experience and contact with potential employers, serving as a path to regular employment, particularly for low-skilled workers. Others view them as traps, fostering low-wage, unstable employment and providing little experience and few contacts.
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