Jed Kolko

Jed Kolko
United States Department of Commerce · Public domain · source
Name	Jed Kolko
Occupation	Economist, data scientist, author
Employer	University of California, Berkeley; Indeed; Public Policy Institute of California
Alma mater	University of California, Berkeley; Harvard University (if applicable)

Jed Kolko is an American economist and data scientist known for his work on labor markets, urban economics, and public policy analysis. He has held roles in academia, think tanks, and industry, contributing research to debates in United States labor trends, housing markets, and digital platforms. Kolko has published analyses in scholarly journals and popular outlets and has advised policy institutions and private firms.

Early life and education

Kolko was raised in the United States and completed undergraduate and graduate studies at institutions including University of California, Berkeley and Harvard University, where he studied economics, statistics, and public policy alongside contemporaries connected to Brookings Institution, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University. During his academic formation he engaged with faculty and researchers affiliated with National Bureau of Economic Research, American Economic Association, and Russell Sage Foundation, and participated in seminars that overlapped with scholars from Princeton University and Yale University. His education included coursework and research methods common to programs at London School of Economics, Columbia University, and University of Chicago.

Career

Kolko's professional career spans roles in research organizations, technology companies, and policy institutes, including appointments at Public Policy Institute of California, Indeed, and teaching or visiting positions at University of California, Berkeley. He has collaborated with professionals from McKinsey & Company, Goldman Sachs, and Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco on applied labor-market analysis, and worked with data platforms and media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post to communicate findings. Kolko's industry engagements connected him to executives and researchers at Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and he has consulted for municipal and state agencies, including offices in California and cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

Research and publications

Kolko's research covers labor economics, urban studies, housing policy, and digital labor markets, with publications appearing in academic journals and policy briefs alongside scholars from Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, and Princeton University. He has authored analyses comparing labor-market indicators from sources such as U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, and private job platforms, and his work synthesizes methods used by researchers at National Bureau of Economic Research, IZA Institute of Labor Economics, and RAND Corporation. Kolko has contributed chapters or reports that intersect with topics investigated by Brookings Institution, Urban Institute, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and Public Policy Institute of California, and he has been cited by media outlets including NPR, Bloomberg, Reuters, and Vox. His methodological approaches draw on techniques familiar to scholars at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, and Cornell University and relate to data strategies used by organizations like Indeed and Glassdoor.

Public policy and public service

Kolko has advised state and local governments, think tanks, and nonprofit organizations, interacting with policy actors from California State Legislature, City of San Francisco, and regional planning agencies. He has testified or presented findings to panels involving representatives from U.S. Department of Labor, California Department of Finance, and civic groups associated with Brookings Institution and Public Policy Institute of California. His public-facing analyses have influenced discussions involving leaders linked to Governor of California, mayors of Los Angeles and San Francisco, and officials from agencies such as Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Governments. Kolko has also engaged with advocacy organizations and foundations like Ford Foundation, Gates Foundation, and Kresge Foundation on research translation and policy outreach.

Personal life and recognition

Kolko resides in California and participates in professional networks that include members of American Economic Association, Regional Science Association International, and International Association for Applied Econometrics. He has been recognized in industry and policy circles, receiving invitations to speak at conferences hosted by National League of Cities, Urban Land Institute, and Consumer Technology Association, and his commentary has been profiled by outlets such as The Atlantic and Forbes. Colleagues from institutions including University of California, Berkeley, Public Policy Institute of California, and private sector partners have acknowledged his contributions to applied economic analysis and data-driven policy research.

Category:American economists Category:Urban economists