Julie Yixia Cai

Julie Yixia Cai is an economist with the domestic program at the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), where she works on a variety of issues relating to labor market conditions, racial and gender disparities, economic well-being, and social policy.

Cai’s research centers on the intersection of economic instability, poverty, social policy, and family well-being. Current research projects examine how employment instability impacts individuals and families, using both nationally representative survey data and state administrative data. She also investigates the anti-poverty effects of safety net programs and their impact on the life circumstances of low- and middle-income families in the United States.

Prior to joining CEPR, Cai provided statistical analyses for numerous projects at the Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) and contributed to reports for the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. She also worked as a research assistant at the Columbia Population Research Center on the Poverty Tracker Project and was a member of a joint research team between the UNICEF and the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) Cross-National Data Center related to child poverty and social protection in middle-income countries. Cai is a graduate research fellow with the IRP and expects to complete her PhD in social welfare with a minor in public affairs from University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2021. She holds an MSW concentrating in social policy from Columbia University, and an MSc in urban studies from University College London.