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

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.