Dr Damian Whittard

About me

About me

I am failed athlete and performing artist but am pleased to be Professor of Economic and Social Policy at UWE Bristol, specialising in labour markets, regional economics, green jobs and the use of linked administrative data to address important economic and public-policy questions.

I am Deputy Director of UWE Bristol’s Data Research, Access and Governance Network, which supports research using sensitive and linked data and promotes responsible approaches to data access, governance and public engagement. In this role, I oversee UWE Bristol’s contribution to the Brunel Centre, a partnership between UWE Bristol, the University of Bath and Futures West. The Centre conducts and shares economic research designed to support sustainable and inclusive growth, industrial strategy and evidence-informed policymaking across the West of England.

I am also Principal Investigator and Programme Lead for Wage and Employment Dynamics (WED), a major ADR UK-funded research and data-linkage programme. WED brings together survey, administrative and Census data to develop new evidence about earnings, employment, job mobility, self-employment and inequalities in the British labour market. The programme works closely with the Office for National Statistics, government departments, academic researchers and policy organisations.

My research is strongly applied and focuses on producing evidence that can influence policy and practice. I have led and contributed to projects examining regional productivity, green employment, low pay and the National Living Wage, job-to-job transitions, labour-market inactivity, youth employment and the economic performance of priority sectors.

I have extensive experience of leading multidisciplinary research teams, developing partnerships with government and industry, securing external research funding (in excess of £10 million) and translating complex economic evidence into accessible insights for policymakers, businesses and communities.

Research interests

My principal research interests include:

• evidence-informed local economic development.
• sustainable and inclusive growth;
• green jobs and the just transition;
• labour markets, wages and employment dynamics;
• low pay, minimum wages and job quality;
• youth employment, economic inactivity and transitions into work;
• data access, data governance and public engagement;
• linked administrative data and longitudinal research;
• Policy and programme evaluation

Knowledge exchange and impact

A central aim of my work is to ensure that high-quality economic research informs policy and practice.

I work with national and local government, statistical agencies, combined and local authorities, employers, business organisations and third-sector partners. My research has contributed to policy discussions concerning minimum wages, labour-market statistics, linked administrative data, regional growth, productivity, green employment and youth transitions. For example, research from the Wage and Employment Dynamics programme has informed the work of organisations including the Low Pay Commission, the Office for National Statistics and independent policy research organisations such as the Institute of Fiscal Studies and the National institute of Economic and Social Research.

Publications and research outputs

My work has been published in leading academic journals and through policy and research organisations, including the British Journal of Industrial Relations;  Journal of Cleaner Production; ADR UK; the Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence and the Office for National Statistics.

Teaching and doctoral supervision

I have extensive experience of teaching economics, at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels.

I welcome enquiries from prospective doctoral researchers interested in:

• regional sustainable and inclusive growth;
• green jobs and the just transition;
• labour economics and wage inequality;
• youth employment and economic inactivity;
• linked administrative and longitudinal data;

External roles and professional service

My external roles include:

• member of the ESRC Assessor College;
• member of the ADR UK Data Linkage Steering Group;
• academic assessor for the Government Economic Service;
• member of ONS’s Earnings Symposium academic committee;

 

Area of expertise

Areas of expertise

I am available to provide expert commentary on:

• regional economic development;
• inclusive growth and the just transition.
• green jobs and sustainable employment;
• labour markets, pay and earnings inequality;
• youth employment and economic inactivity;
• linked administrative data.

 

Publications