Sangwoo Lee

Sangwoo Lee serves as Assistant Professor at the University of Warwick's Institute for Employment Research (IER), specializing in the intersection of educational inequality and labour market dynamics. Joining IER in October 2023, he previously held research positions at UCL Institute of Education and University of Cambridge, establishing his expertise in quantitative analysis of social mobility and job quality metrics.

Dr. Lee's academic foundation spans Grinnell College (US), Harvard University (US), and University of Cambridge (UK), creating a unique interdisciplinary lens combining economics and education policy. His research program systematically investigates how socioeconomic background shapes educational attainment and subsequent labour market trajectories, with particular focus on non-wage job quality dimensions and their wellbeing impacts across diverse national contexts.

His current work reveals critical patterns: persistent graduate job quality premiums that vary significantly by socioeconomic origin, accelerating job quality polarization in advanced economies, and the limited mobility-enhancing effects of higher education in stratified systems like South Korea. Methodologically, he pioneers wellbeing-based job quality thresholds and longitudinal tracking of skill development pathways.

Dr. Lee's research portfolio includes eight major grants totaling over £15 million, featuring Horizon Europe collaborations, NIHR-funded health-jobs integration studies, and the influential State of Labour Market Index for UK policy. His work bridges academic rigor with real-world impact through regular engagement with Department for Education, Department for Work and Pensions, and Korean Ministry of Education.

• Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA) for teaching excellence
• Lead investigator for ESRC Secondary Data Analysis projects on European/South Korean job quality
• Principal developer of wellbeing-based job quality metrics adopted by EU agencies

As an educator, Dr. Lee bridges theory and practice through advanced seminars on 21st-century employment challenges, emphasizing quantitative methods and policy applications. His collaborative approach extends across 12 institutions in 7 countries, creating a robust international research network focused on equitable labour market outcomes. The Institute for Employment Research provides an ideal interdisciplinary environment for his work, connecting economics, sociology, and policy studies to address pressing questions of inequality and opportunity.