Julia Pollak
Julia Pollak is the Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Labor, leading the department's economic research initiatives and provides analytical counsel on federal labor policy, workforce development programs, and broader employment dynamics across the American economy. Prior to joining the federal government, Pollak was widely known as a prominent private-sector labor economist. She served as the Chief Economist at ZipRecruiter, a leading online employment marketplace, where she analyzed marketplace data to evaluate employment trends, wage growth, hiring patterns, and the post-pandemic evolution of work. Before that, she was an Assistant Policy Analyst at the RAND Corporation and an Adjunct Economics Instructor at Pepperdine University. Her insights were frequently featured across national media platforms, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNBC, Bloomberg, and NPR.
Julia Pollak Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Chief Economist
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Chief Economist
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Assistant Policy Researcher
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Adjunct Instructor
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Research Assistant for Defense Studies
Academic History
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M.S., Policy Analysis
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B.A., Economics
ZIPRECRUITER
As Chief Economist at ZipRecruiter, Julia Pollak served as a leading economic voice analyzing real-time labor market dynamics.
Utilizing proprietary data from one of the country's largest online employment marketplaces, she evaluated employment health, tracked hiring behaviors, and delivered actionable insights to help employers and job seekers navigate shifting macroeconomic conditions.
She also used data from the platform's marketplace to measure the health of the labor market, identify hiring trends, and help employers and job seekers prepare for the future of work.
EARLY CAREER & BACKGROUND
Before joining ZipRecruiter, Pollak built a multidisciplinary background across public policy, defense analytics, and macroeconomic research.
She worked as an Assistant Policy Researcher at the RAND Corporation, focusing on military personnel policy and defense acquisition, and conducted research on defense strategy, budgets, and readiness at The Heritage Foundation.
She contributes regular economic analysis to Barron's and serves on both the Forbes Human Resources Council and the National Association for Business Economists (NABE).
She also serves as an advisor for CWI Labs, supporting initiatives focused on older workers and workforce development.
Her labor market commentary and research are frequently featured across major national news organizations, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Bloomberg.
RECOGNITIONS
TATech's 100 Most Influential TA Thought Leaders
2023 Center for Workforce Inclusion’s Innovation and Thought Leadership Award