Shawn is director of law and political economy and a senior advisor at CEPR. He has worked in direct service at the local level, policy advocacy at the state level, and policy research and analysis at the federal level. His previous positions include senior policy analyst and deputy director of income security at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.
After graduating from the University of Minnesota Law School, Shawn worked as a civil legal services lawyer in Minnesota for seven years. His writing has appeared in The American Prospect, The Nation, National Journal, and other publications, and he has been quoted or cited in a range of publications, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, All Things Considered, Vox, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The Guardian. He was a Ford Foundation Public Voices Fellow and is a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance.
All from Shawn Fremstad
Measuring Care Provision in the United States: Resources, Shortfalls, and Possible Improvements
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged conventional thinking, dramatizing the essential contributions that “care infrastructure” can make to economic well-being.

What the Fight Over Work Requirements is Really About
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) currently provides food vouchers to about 42 million people. This critical program ensures they have enough food for themselves and their families.

The Upshot of the Empirical Evidence on SNAP’s Work Test: It’s Counterproductive
Taken as a whole, the growing body of research on the SNAP work test tells a relatively consistent story about its impacts. There is no question that it reduces access to SNAP food vouchers among vulnerable people with few resources. On employment, the best read of the evidence is that it has no impact on employment.
The Dismal Economics of SNAP’s Work-Hours Test and Time Limit
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, reduces food insecurity, which in turn improves people’s health and economic well-being.

Are Young Men Falling Behind Young Women? The NEET Rate Helps Shed Light on the Matter
Are young men falling behind young women? The idea that they are has become somewhat commonplace in headlines in recent years, particularly in stories that highlight the gender gap in post-secondary enrollment.
Thirteen Years After Passage of ACA: Real Progress Has Been Made, But US Needs Medicare for All
Signed by President Obama 13 years ago, the Affordable Care Act was an essential step toward ensuring that health care is a right, not a privilege, in the United States.

Beyond the Headline Numbers in the Jobs Report: Disability and Employment
Just over 10 million working-age disabled people were out of the labor force in the last quarter of 2022 — roughly the same as the number who were out of the labor force in 2018 and 2019.

Massive Public Investment Made COVID-19 Vaccines Possible
The US public provided the financing and took on the risks needed to produce the COVID-19 vaccines. The public should also decide how to use the value its investments created.

The Extent and Demographics of Long COVID Disability in United States
In Fall 2022, nearly 35.2 million US adults reported ever having Long COVID, including 17.2 million adults who are currently experiencing it.

The Long Reach of Long COVID: At Least 4.4 Million Adults are Currently Disabled by Long COVID
Understanding the effects of Long COVID and the risk for disability is essential to ensure that policy interventions address the needs of people debilitated by or at risk of developing Long COVID.
