James Hosek

James Hosek is an Adjunct Professor at the RAND School of Public Policy and an Adjunct Economist at the RAND Corporation. His research focuses on military recruiting, retention, compensation, and personnel policy, with additional work on teacher retention and U.S. competitiveness in STEM fields. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the RAND Journal of Economics (1989-2018) and held leadership roles including chairing the Economics and Statistics Department and directing RAND's Forces and Resources Policy Center. Hosek's analyses contributed to the 2018 military retirement reform and informed numerous Quadrennial Reviews of Military Compensation. His awards include RAND's Gold Medal, Bronze Medal, Spotlight Innovation, and President's Award. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago.

• Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University of Chicago (no specific dates provided)
• Affiliations: Member of Economists in National Security Analysis, Fellow of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society, and member of the American Economic Association.

Research Interests: Military personnel policy, labor markets, incentive pay systems, military-civilian compensation comparisons, and retirement reform. His work bridges economic theory with practical policy solutions for defense and public sector workforce challenges.

Grants & Awards: Recipient of major RAND institutional awards and external recognition (e.g., Who's Who listings). His research has directly influenced U.S. military compensation policies and retirement system reforms.

• Key Contributions:
  • Blended Retirement System implementation analysis
  • Special Operations Forces retention strategies
  • Teacher retirement incentive models

Labs/Teams: Associated with RAND's National Defense Research Institute and the Forces and Resources Policy Center. Collaborates with entities like the California Institute and Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress on policy advisory roles.