Basit Zafar

Basit Zafar is a Professor of Economics at the University of Michigan, Department of Economics, within the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Previously, he served as a professor at Arizona State University and held roles at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He earned his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in 2008 and a B.Sc. (Honors) in Engineering and Economics from the California Institute of Technology in 2003.

His research focuses on labor economics, education economics, and household finance, emphasizing decision-making under uncertainty. Notable projects include studies on gender differences in job search behavior, the impact of exploding job offers on earnings gaps, and the effects of the pandemic on student experiences and remote work preferences. He co-developed the Survey of Consumer Expectations (SCE) at the NY Fed, leveraging survey methodologies to explore economic behavior and expectations.

Zafar teaches ECON 490 (Experiments in Economics) and co-teaches ECON 695 (Research Methods for Ph.D. Students). His work often employs experimental and survey-based approaches, addressing topics like college major choice, vaccine hesitancy, and workplace norms. He emphasizes practical research skills and critical evaluation of methodologies in his courses.

Current projects include analyzing socioeconomic gaps in education during the pandemic, the valuation of in-person college experiences, and policy interventions to reduce disparities in labor markets. His research bridges theoretical economics with real-world applications, contributing to policy debates on education, labor, and household finance.