Tim Bartik

Tim Bartik is a senior economist at the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan think tank in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  Dr. Bartik’s research focuses on state and local economic development policies and local labor markets.  He has written two books:  Who Benefits from State and Local Economic Development Policies? (1991) and Jobs for the Poor:  Can Labor Demand Policies Help? (2001).  Dr. Bartik co-edited and co-wrote (with Susan Houseman) the introduction for the 2008 book, A Future of Good Jobs?  America’s Challenge in the Global Economy. He has also written numerous scholarly papers on topics including economic development incentives, the effects of state and local taxes and public services on economic development, evaluating economic development programs, the effects of welfare reform on state labor markets, and living wage regulations.  Dr. Bartik’s recent work includes several papers on how preschool and other early childhood development programs affect state economic development.  He has also written recently on the influence of higher education institutions and health care institutions on metropolitan economies.  Dr. Bartik received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1982, and taught at Vanderbilt University before coming to the Upjohn Institute in 1989.