Jean-Baptiste Michau

Jean-Baptiste Michau is a Professor of Economics at Institut Polytechnique de Paris, serving as a Permanent Member of CREST (Center for Research in Economics and Statistics). His academic career spans over 15 years at École Polytechnique, where he progressed from Assistant Professor (2010-2016) to full Professor (2016-present), while maintaining continuous affiliation with CREST's Macro Lab since 2011.

His educational background includes a PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics (2010) under Nobel laureate Christopher Pissarides, a Master in Economics and Applied Mathematics from Paris School of Economics (2006), an MPhil in Economics from University of Cambridge (2004), and a BSc in Economics and Mathematics from University of Bristol (2003).

• PhD: London School of Economics (2010)
• Master: Paris School of Economics (2006)
• MPhil: University of Cambridge (2004)
• BSc: University of Bristol (2003)

Michau's research centers on three interconnected domains where macroeconomic forces intersect with policy design. His Macroeconomics work pioneers theoretical frameworks for secular stagnation, developing novel concepts like 'wealth preference' to explain persistent low interest rates and rational bubbles. In Public Finance, he reimagines optimal policy in liquidity traps, demonstrating how helicopter money can transition economies from Ponzi to Pigou dynamics. His Labor Economics contributions integrate search theory with risk aversion to redesign unemployment insurance systems that balance insurance provision against work incentives, while examining cultural transmission mechanisms behind European unemployment disparities.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a sustained focus on low-interest rate environments since 2013, evolving from foundational secular stagnation theory (2018) to operational policy solutions (2025). His keyword cluster analysis shows 78% concentration in Macroeconomics/Public Finance, with emerging emphasis on wealth inequality mechanisms since 2021. The sub-field mapping demonstrates exceptional methodological consistency, applying search frictions and life-cycle perspectives across labor, public finance, and macro domains.

As academic advisor, Michau has supervised three PhD students to completion, including Jocelyn Boussard (2019). His institutional leadership includes directing the Master & PhD in Economics program at Institut Polytechnique de Paris (2020-present) and previously co-directing the University of Paris-Saclay economics master's program (2016-2020). His professional trajectory includes visiting positions at Osaka University (2012, 2018, 2019), Harvard University (2012), and UC Berkeley (2012), alongside early career experience at the IMF (2007) and Standard & Poor's (2005).