Julie joined CEPR in June 2020 as an economist on the domestic team, supporting research and policy efforts on a wide range of labor market issues. Her areas of research include household income volatility, precarious work, economic inequality, and poverty measurement.
Since then she worked on topics including job churn, housing, income instability, child welfare, and the care economy, with a particular focus on the working class and gender and racial disparities. With the increasing economic precarity facing many low- and middle-income families, she has focused on understanding how the 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit can reduce parental income shocks and other public policies that have the potential to stabilize work hours and income. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Child Abuse and Neglect, Social Forces, and Housing Policy Debate, and her analysis has appeared in outlets such as BBC, CNBC, and The Wall Street Journal.
Cai earned her PhD in social welfare and public affairs from University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is an external affiliate with the Columbia Center on Poverty and Social Policy. Previously she was a lecturer at Columbia University and a visiting fellow at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston from 2022 to 2023.
All from Julie Yixia Cai
Missing Voters and Missing Unemployed Black Workers
Just as many people decline to respond to political pollsters, people are increasingly refusing to respond to the various surveys the government’s statistical agencies field to gather data about people’s work, income, and spending patterns.
Most Children Live in Households that Experience One or More Substantial Declines in Earnings During the Year: The Child Tax Credit Should Be Restructured to Help Them
Nearly half of all children live in households that experience at least one negative earnings shock during a typical year. Such shocks are particularly common among lower-income household and households headed by adults without a bachelor’s degree.
It is Time for the FMLA to Fulfill the Promise of Inclusive and Paid Leave
February 5th, 2021 marks the 28th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). While this landmark federal legislation has protected the health and incomes of millions of workers, it still leaves out an overwhelming share of low- or moderate-in
The Rise in Material Hardship Among Working-Class Whites and How It Could Impact the 2020 Election
The rise in material hardship among lower-income whites without college degrees will likely make it harder for Trump to hold on to these important swing voters in the election.
Housing Affordability and Insecurity Before and During the Pandemic
Pandemic Leads to More Precarious Housing Situation
Housing insecurity is much higher today, particularly among renters, than before the pandemic.
Labor Market Transitions of Young People During the Pandemic
In this article, we document trends in young people’s employment and month-to-month labor market transitions through June 2020.
