Jeff Hayes, Ph.D.

About Jeff Hayes

Jeff Hayes is a sociologist and Scholar in Residence at American University and works on research examining women’s and men’s employment, job quality, and economic security over the life course, including retirement. He currently oversees IWPR’s work analyzing usage and cost of paid family and medical leave in the United States and provides technical assistance to several states and localities considering how they might improve workers’ access to paid leave for their own health needs or to care for family members. Dr. Hayes has been interviewed on paid leave, income security, and job quality issues in The Washington Post, MarketWatch, Huffington Post, CNN Money, CNBC, and other outlets around the country. Dr. Hayes has testified on the costs of paid leave proposals before the New York City Council, the DC city council, and the Maryland House Economic Matters committee. He is currently serving on the Maryland Task Force to Study Family and Medical Leave Insurance. He served on the Commission to Modernize Social Security and has provided technical assistance to members of the US Congress on including credits for caregiving in Social Security. Dr. Hayes is a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance. As an experienced survey researcher, Dr. Hayes advises on IWPR’s survey work and conducts major surveys such as the IWPR/Rockefeller Survey of Economic Security. Prior to joining IWPR, Dr. Hayes worked at the McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy and the Harvard Project on Global Working Families, analyzing how labor conditions affect children’s health and development around the world, and taught research methods at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He holds Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Religious Studies from the University of Virginia.

Dramatic Decline in Employment Hits Women Even More Severely than Men

In the four weeks since mid-March, 20.5 million jobs were lost, according to new payroll data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics this Friday, May 8. Women bore the majority of job losses, 11.3 million (55 percent of the total), compared with 9.2 million jobs lost by men

By Ariane Hegewisch, Zohal Barsi and Jeff Hayes|2020-07-25T20:02:54-05:00May 8, 2020|Economic, Security, Mobility, and Equity, Quick Figure|Comments Off on Dramatic Decline in Employment Hits Women Even More Severely than Men

Providing Unpaid Household and Care Work in the United States: Uncovering Inequality

In the United States, women spend considerably more time than men over their lifetime doing unpaid household and care work. The unequal distribution of this work—work that is essential for families and societies to thrive—not only limits women’s career choices and economic empowerment, but also affects their overall health and well-being.

By Jeff Hayes, Cynthia Hess, Ph.D. and Tanima Ahmed|2021-10-28T13:30:26-05:00January 20, 2020|Economic, Security, Mobility, and Equity|Comments Off on Providing Unpaid Household and Care Work in the United States: Uncovering Inequality

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1985-2018 (Full-time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity, by Race/Ethnicity

Source: IWPR analysis of data from P-38 Historical Income [...]

By Valerie Lacarte and Jeff Hayes|2020-11-02T18:29:51-05:00November 5, 2019|Economic, Security, Mobility, and Equity, Quick Figure|Comments Off on Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s, 1985-2018 (Full-time, Year-Round Workers) with Projections for Pay Equity, by Race/Ethnicity

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s Median Earnings, 1960 to 2018—with Projection for Pay Equity in 2059

Women’s Median Earnings as a Percent of Men’s Median Earnings, 1960-2018 (Full-Time, Year-Round Workers) with Projection for Pay Equity in 2059

Access to Paid Sick Time in Bernalillo County, New Mexico

Approximately 35 percent of workers living in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, lack paid sick time, and among those, low-income and part-time workers are especially unlikely to be covered. Access to paid sick time promotes safe and healthy work environments by reducing the spread of illness[1] and preventing workplace injuries.

Assets for Equity: Building Wealth for Women in Central Ohio

Building wealth is integral to women’s economic security, good health, and overall well-being. Wealth—the value of assets minus debts—enables women to weather unexpected economic hardships and provides them with resources that allow them to have proactive control over their lives, giving them the chance to pursue educational degrees, business ventures, or other opportunities without accruing significant debt.

By Elyse Shaw, Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., Chandra Childers, Jeff Hayes and Adiam Tesfaselassie|2020-10-12T01:03:01-05:00April 24, 2019|IWPR|Comments Off on Assets for Equity: Building Wealth for Women in Central Ohio

Basic Economic Security in the United States: How Much Income Do Working Adults Need in Each State?

To experience economic security, working adults must have enough income to meet their basic monthly expenses and save for emergencies and retirement. The Basic Economic Security Tables (BEST) Index provides a measure of how much income working adults of different family types need to be economically secure in each state.

By Jooyeoun Suh, Ph.D., Jennifer Clark and Jeff Hayes|2021-10-28T13:30:28-05:00October 11, 2018|Economic, Security, Mobility, and Equity|Comments Off on Basic Economic Security in the United States: How Much Income Do Working Adults Need in Each State?

Basic Economic Security in Wyoming

Economic security is a critical part of the overall health and well-being of Wyoming’s women, men, and children. To have economic security, working adults must have enough income to meet their basic monthly expenses—such as housing, food, transportation, and child care expenses—and save for emergencies and retirement.

By Jooyeoun Suh, Ph.D., Cynthia Hess, Ph.D. and Jeff Hayes|2020-10-14T02:14:29-05:00September 1, 2018|IWPR|Comments Off on Basic Economic Security in Wyoming