Wolter Hassink

Prof. dr. Wolter Hassink is a Full Professor of Applied Econometrics and Vice Dean for Research and Impact at Utrecht University's Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance since September 2023. He is affiliated with the UU Future of Work Hub and serves as a research fellow at IZA (Institute of Labor Economics, Bonn). His work bridges econometric methodologies with societal challenges in labor and housing markets.

• PhD in Economics (1996) from VU Amsterdam on labor market dynamics
• Doctoral degree in Econometrics (1991) from University of Groningen

Hassink's research focuses on applying statistical methods to analyze labor market flexibility, wage differentials, housing mobility, and social security policies. His international collaborations span studies in the U.S., Turkey, China, Chile, and South Africa. Recent work includes pandemic labor impacts, gender differences in job flexibility, and housing market dynamics during economic crises.

His publications span top journals like ILR Review, Journal of Health Economics, and The World Bank Economic Review. Key trends include labor resilience during crises, housing wealth effects on entrepreneurship, and cross-regional economic analysis.

• Best paper on the Japanese Economy Award (2004)
• Monitoring the Monitors Award (2004)
• U.S.E. Research Talent Prize (2017)

Hassink has supervised 10 PhD projects and multiple postdoc studies. He leads the FIRMBACKBONE team (ODISSEI) with €1M funding from PDI-SSH (2020-2025) to build longitudinal Dutch company data infrastructure. He serves as Managing Editor of De Economist and co-founded TPEdigitaal, advancing data science integration at Utrecht University.

The FIRMBACKBONE team under Hassink develops longitudinal data infrastructure for Dutch companies, accessible to social science researchers nationwide. This aligns with his role in institutional innovation for open societies.