Yaming Cao

Welcome! My name is Yaming Cao. 

I am a researcher (Tenure-track) at The ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research, after I earned my PhD from the Ohio State University.  My fields of expertise: public, health, and labor economics.

Individuals face a wide range of risks through out their lives. How can society best protect people against life-cycle risks—such as health shocks, aging, and family transitions? My research addresses how society can best protect people against these life-cycle risks while preserving economic efficiency and promoting equity. 

The first strand focuses on social insurance design. I study how to design programs that effectively protect individuals and families while minimizing unintended distortions to labor supply and productivity. This requires understanding both the nature of risks and their economic consequences through empirical analysis, then exploring how policies can be improved. I emphasize two critical areas: health shocks and childbirth.  

The second strand of my research shifts the focus from institutional design to individuals themselves, asking how people can be better prepared to manage life-cycle risks. In particular, I examine how social interactions shape skill formations, thereby influencing individuals’ capacity to cope with risks over the life course.  

Contact: Yaming.Cao@zew.de

Address: Office 329, L7 1, 68161 Mannheim, Germany

Curriculum Vitae