Heidi Hartmann, Ph.D.

About Heidi Hartmann

Heidi Hartmann is the President Emerita and Senior Research Economist at the Washington-based Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), a scientific research organization that she founded in 1987 to meet the need for women-centered, policy-oriented research. Dr. Hartmann is also a Distinguished Economist In-Residence for Gender and Economic Analysis at American University and serves as the Editor of the Journal of Women, Politics & Policy. Dr. Hartmann lectures internationally on women, economics, and public policy; frequently testifies before the U.S. Congress; and is often cited as an authority in various media outlets, such as CNN, ABC News, The New York Times, and PBS NewsHour. She has published numerous articles in journals and books and her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. She is a co-author of several IWPR reports, including Women’s and Men’s Employment and Unemployment in the Great Recession; Still A Man’s Labor Market: The Long-Term Earnings Gap; Unnecessary Losses: Costs to Americans of the Lack of Family and Medical Leave; Equal Pay for Working Families, and Strengthening Social Security for Women. She served as Chair of the Board of the American Academy of Political Science, and Treasurer of the National Council of Women’s Organizations. Prior to founding IWPR, Dr. Hartmann was on the faculties of Rutgers University and the New School for Social Research and worked at the National Research Council/National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. In 1994, Dr. Hartmann was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship Award for her work in the field of women and economics. She is an economist with a B.A. from Swarthmore College and M. Phil and Ph.D. degrees from Yale University, all in economics. She is the recipient of two honorary degrees. She was named a Charlotte Perkins Gilman Fellow by the American Academy of Political and Social Science in 2014, and in 2017 she received the Distinguished Career Award from the American Sociological Association.

Widespread Decline in Household Income During COVID-19 Pandemic Contributes to Food Insufficiency Among Families

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the economic security and well-being of families. In addition to finding and sustaining employment, many families are struggling with food insufficiency, a direct consequence of lost earnings. Nationally, more than 37 million Americans, including more than 11 million children are food insecure.

A Woman-Centered Economic Agenda: 8 Policies that Boost the Economy and Work for Everyone

This fact sheet outlines eight key policy priorities that are critical for increasing women’s economic opportunities and securing their futures.

By Elyse Shaw and Heidi Hartmann|2021-10-28T13:49:14-05:00June 20, 2019|IWPR, Policy, Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Economy|Comments Off on A Woman-Centered Economic Agenda: 8 Policies that Boost the Economy and Work for Everyone

Women, Automation, and the Future of Work (Executive Summary)

According to Women, Automation, and the Future of Work, an Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) report, technological change will affect men and women differently in a number of ways. The first study of its kind in the United States, this report estimates the risk of automation across occupations by gender and presents a comprehensive picture of what we know—and what we don’t—about how the future of work will affect women workers.

Retail Occupations: Few Signs of Employment Decline but Increasing Precarity

One in eleven U.S. workers work in retail jobs, close to 13 million workers in 2014-16. Occupations in the retail sector include Retail Salespersons, Cashiers, and Stock Clerks and Order Fillers, but also Advertising Agents, Telemarketers, and Models and Product Promoters.

By Ariane Hegewisch, Chandra Childers and Heidi Hartmann|2020-07-25T18:10:23-05:00March 13, 2019|Economic, Security, Mobility, and Equity, Fact Sheet|Comments Off on Retail Occupations: Few Signs of Employment Decline but Increasing Precarity

Still a Man’s Labor Market: The Slowly Narrowing Gender Wage Gap

The commonly used figure to describe the gender wage ratio—that a woman earns 80 cents for every dollar earned by a man—understates the pay inequality problem by leaving many women workers out of the picture. This report argues that a multi-year analysis provides a more comprehensive picture of the gender wage gap and presents a more accurate measure of the income women actually bring home to support themselves and their families.

Comment on 2020 Census Federal Register Notice

IWPR relies on accurate and timely data from the federal statistical agencies, including the Census Bureau, for research across our program areas. A comprehensive, accurate decennial Census provides the primary source of information on the U.S. population and is the foundation on which many other data are based for gauging coverage, constructing population weights, and providing other inputs across the federal statistical system.

By Heidi Hartmann|2020-10-17T18:44:02-05:00August 7, 2018|IWPR|0 Comments