معرفی
Thomas Durfee serves as a Visiting Instructor at Macalester College while completing his PhD in Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on labor market dynamics and economic policy impacts, particularly regarding minimum wage structures and corporate social responsibility frameworks.
His educational background includes a Master of Public Policy from the University of Minnesota's Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs (2016) and dual Bachelor's degrees in Mathematical Economics and Philosophy from the University of St. Thomas (2011), with additional economic history studies at the University of Edinburgh.
Durfee's primary research investigates minimum wage exemptions (J1-visa programs, small business thresholds, disability provisions), revenue effects of benefit corporation reorganization (e.g., Patagonia, Ben & Jerry's), and job seeker behavior dynamics. His work with the Roy Wilkins Center analyzes racial equity in healthcare costs, minority business services, and minimum wage impacts in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Current projects examine non-productive work time effects on earnings disparities, racial gaps in labor markets, and health outcomes for minimum wage workers. His pre-PhD career spanned politics, corporate finance, property tax administration, and community initiatives including the Minnesota Tool Library.
