Julia Pollak, an advisor to CWI Labs since 2020, is the Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). In this role, she leads efforts to produce rigorous, data-driven analysis to inform labor policy and ensure it is grounded in evidence, responsive to economic realities, and focused on expanding opportunity, supporting innovation, and strengthening the dignity of work.
Prior to joining DOL, Julia served as Chief Economist at ZipRecruiter, where she led a team that analyzed ZipRecruiter’s real-time marketplace data and ran surveys of job seekers, employers, and new hires. This research was used to measure the health of the labor market, identify emerging hiring trends, and generate insights designed to help employers and job seekers prepare for the future of work.
Julia’s work is frequently featured in leading national outlets, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Bloomberg. She has contributed to Barron’s and served on both the Forbes Human Resources Council and the National Association of Business Economists. She was named one of the 100 Most Influential TA Thought Leaders by TATech, and received the 2023 Center for Workforce Inclusion’s Innovation and Thought Leadership Award.
A graduate of Harvard University, Julia holds a Master of Philosophy in Policy Analysis from the Pardee RAND Graduate School. She also served as a drilling reservist in the U.S. Navy from 2011 to 2022.
