Jessica Milli, Ph.D.

About Jessica Milli

Jessica Milli is a Study Director at IWPR and Scholar in Residence at American University. She oversees IWPR’s work on paid sick days, providing technical assistance to dozens of communities across the country exploring paid sick days policies. In addition, Jessica leads IWPR research projects on breastfeeding and women in patenting. Jessica has presented her work at events around the country and has testified before state and local legislative bodies on IWPR’s research. She has been interviewed in Bloomberg, The Atlantic, Fast Company, Marketplace, The Nation, TIME, ABC News, Fortune, and other national and regional outlets. Prior to joining IWPR, Jessica taught economics courses ranging from principles of microeconomics and economic statistics, to game theory and labor economics at several institutions including UW-Milwaukee, UW-Whitewater, and Randolph College. Jessica received her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. During her studies, she applied her focus of Labor Economics to relationships within households and what economic factors put women at more risk of experiencing domestic violence. Her dissertation analyzed the complex relationship between domestic violence and various measures of women’s socioeconomic status, such as welfare receipt and employment.

Climbing the Leadership Ladder: Women’s Progress Stalls

What prevents women from reaching the highest rungs of the leadership ladder? This report seeks to answer this by taking a closer look at the representation of women in management and leadership positions across the United States—and the barriers that hold organizations back from achieving full gender and racial equity in leadership.

By Elyse Shaw and Jessica Milli|2021-08-09T12:47:51-05:00August 9, 2021|Publications, Report|0 Comments

Access to Paid Sick Days in Maryland

This briefing paper presents estimates of private sector workers’ access to paid sick days in Maryland by sex, race and ethnicity, occupation, part/full-time employment status, personal earnings and county of residence through analysis of government data sources, including the 2010–2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and the 2010–2012 American Community Survey (ACS).

Women-Owned Businesses Have Increased in Number, but Still Face Obstacles to Growth

Women have made considerable progress in increasing their representation among business owners in recent years. The number of women-owned businesses increased in almost every industry between 2002 and 2012, at rates higher than those of men-owned businesses.

By Zohal Barsi and Jessica Milli|2020-07-26T17:12:18-05:00February 19, 2020|Briefing Paper, Economic, Security, Mobility, and Equity|Comments Off on Women-Owned Businesses Have Increased in Number, but Still Face Obstacles to Growth

Investing in Single Mothers’ Higher Education

Earning a higher education is increasingly necessary for achieving family economic security. For single mothers, who are more likely to live in poverty than other women, earning postsecondary credentials can bring substantial benefits, from increased lifetime earnings and employment rates to better health outcomes and chances of success for their children.

By Lindsey Reichlin Cruse, Jessica Milli, Susana Contreras-Mendez, Tessa Holtzman and Barbara Gault|2021-01-27T06:04:03-05:00December 18, 2019|Report, Student Parent Success Initiative|Comments Off on Investing in Single Mothers’ Higher Education

Valuing Good Health in Massachusetts: The Costs and Benefits of Earned Sick Days

Policymakers across the country are increasingly interested in ensuring that workers can earn paid time off to use when they are sick. In addition to concerns about workers’ ability to respond to their own health needs, there is growing recognition that, with so many dual-earner and single-parent families, family members’ health needs also sometimes require workers to take time off from their jobs. Allowing workers with contagious illnesses to avoid unnecessary contact with co-workers and customers has important public health benefits.

By Kimberly McKee and Jessica Milli|2021-10-28T13:30:27-05:00September 24, 2019|Economic, Security, Mobility, and Equity|Comments Off on Valuing Good Health in Massachusetts: The Costs and Benefits of Earned Sick Days

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.

The Well-Being of Women in Utah in 2018

As of 2016, women in Utah still work outside of the home at similar rates to women nationally and—while not yet at the same levels as U.S. women—they also continue to pursue business ownership, make progress in educational attainment, and overcome some aspects of poverty.

By Erin Jemison and Jessica Milli|2020-08-27T01:33:45-05:00August 23, 2018|Fact Sheet, Status of Women|0 Comments

Innovation and Intellectual Property among Women Entrepreneurs

This report investigates differences in women- and men-owned firms’ intellectual property holdings (including patents), their research and development activities, product innovations, and the relationships between innovative activities and business outcomes such as revenues and access to capital and start-up funding.

By Emma Williams-Baron, Jessica Milli and Barbara Gault|2020-10-28T19:06:04-05:00July 20, 2018|IWPR|Comments Off on Innovation and Intellectual Property among Women Entrepreneurs

The Need to Promote Gender Diversity in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Patenting: Written Testimony Submitted to the House Small Business Committee

IWPR’s research finds that women patent inventions at much lower rates than men, which means that potential innovations to improve technology, treat illness, and improve everyday life are being left on the table.

By Jessica Milli|2021-10-28T13:49:29-05:00June 11, 2018|Policy, Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Economy, Testimony|Comments Off on The Need to Promote Gender Diversity in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Patenting: Written Testimony Submitted to the House Small Business Committee