Regular biography
Martha Bailey is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is also the Director of the California Center for Population Research and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Her research focuses on labor economics, demography, and health in the United States, with an emphasis on economic history. Her work examines the impact of modern contraception on women's childbearing and career decisions, as well as the long-term effects of policies such as the War on Poverty and equal pay legislation. She directs the LIFE-M project and the M-CARE study, which explore historical and contemporary issues in population health. Her research has been published in leading economics journals and has received funding from various organizations, including the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. She has also received awards for teaching excellence, including the 2017 John Dewey Teaching Award and the 2022 Berck and Lisa Cheng Award.
Scholar-generated biography
Martha J. Bailey is an economist whose research focuses on demography, economic history, and labor economics. Her work examines historical and contemporary issues related to inequality in education, the impact of contraceptive access on women's labor supply, and the long-term effects of social programs such as Head Start and the War on Poverty. Bailey's research also explores the economic and social implications of demographic shifts, including fertility trends and the role of public policy in shaping family planning. Her studies often combine historical data with modern economic analysis to provide insights into the interplay between policy, technology, and societal change.