Barry Hirsch

Barry T. Hirsch (born 1949) is an American economist and the W.J. Usery Chair of the American Workplace at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies of Georgia State University.

Hirsch is one of the leading economists on the subject of industrial relations in the United States.

After earning a B.A. and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Virginia in 1972 and 1977, respectively, Barry Hirsch took up a position as assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

There, he was first promoted to associate professor and full professor in 1979 and 1983, before moving on to Florida State University (FSU) in 1990.

Shortly after becoming Distinguished Research Professor at FSU, Hirsch changed to the position of E.M. Stevens Distinguished Professor at Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas), which he held until 2008.

Finally, in 2008, Hirsch moved back to the East Coast by taking up the W.J. Usery Chair of the American Workplace at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies of Georgia State University, which he has held ever since.

Beyond his academic positions, Hirsch maintains affiliations with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the IZA Institute of Labor Economics, and the Labor and Employment Relations Association.

In terms of professional service, he performs editorial duties for the Journal of Labor Research, Industrial Relations, Southern Economic Journal, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, and the Atlantic Economic Journal.

Barry Hirsch's research revolves primarily around labour economics, especially industrial relations, labour legislation and unions in the United States.

In terms of research output, he ranks among the top 3% of economists registered on IDEAS/RePEc.

Key findings of his research include: