Workers Compensation Research Institute

Position Title/Short Description

Full Text of JOE Listing:

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) has openings for Economists and Public Policy Analysts at the M.A. and Ph.D. levels and Senior Economists at the Ph.D. level in health economics, labor economics, health policy, and public policy. WCRI researchers work on a range of empirical studies, including analyses of workers’ compensation insurance cost drivers, benefit adequacy, dispute resolution, healthcare reimbursement, patient outcomes assessment, and public program evaluation. WCRI researchers have access to a unique database that is comprised of over 30 million episodes of disability and observations from nearly 20,000 interviews with injured workers. WCRI researchers publish in the WCRI peer-reviewed monograph series and present their findings to stakeholders in state workers’ compensation systems, including legislators and senior level members of the state agencies responsible for these systems. WCRI additionally supports and encourages presenting at academic conferences and publishing in academic journals.

WCRI, a nonpartisan, member-supported nonprofit, is internationally recognized as the leading public policy research organization on workers’ compensation issues. Each year, over 3 million employed workers sustain injuries and receive workers’ compensation benefits in the form of health care and/or income benefits. Provision of these benefits costs employers about $89 billion annually. WCRI studies are routinely used by public officials, business, labor and the media to understand system performance and shape legislative and administrative changes. WCRI has the unmatched capability of monitoring the impact of workers’ compensation reforms not only on employer and health care costs, but also on outcomes for injured workers.

Applicants should have demonstrated research skills, a strong interest in empirical research applied to public policy issues, the ability to explain technical research results to non-technical audiences, and excellent written and oral communication skills. Applicants for the Senior Economist positions should have 5 to 10 years of relevant post-doctoral experience, and superior research skills as demonstrated by a history of publications. WCRI offers competitive salary and benefits packages.

Applications should be submitted online at JOE, to personnel@wcrinet.org, or via mail to Personnel, WCRI, 955 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139. Please submit a cover letter, vita, research paper, and three letters of reference. WCRI will be interviewing at the 2016 ASSA meetings in San Francisco. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.