Labour economics focuses on the functioning of the labour markets both theoretically and empirically. The Department's main research topics in Labour economics include the design of optimal labour market institutions (such as employment protection legislation), the effects of Labour market institutions on market outcomes (such as fixed-term contracts), and economics of the family.

Departmental Labour researchers are associated with the main Labour programmes in Europe: Institute for the Study of Labour, Centre for Economic Policy Research, and Centre for Economic Performance-London School of Economics.

Several conferences bringing together Labour economists from European and US universities have been hosted by the UPF Econoics and Business department, for instance, the conference on Technology and Employment, and the conference on Unemployment in Transition Economies.

Although Public Sector Economics accounts for less than 50% of the undergraduate curricula, it is a very large area of teaching and research. This includes Public Finance, Economics of Taxation, Welfare Economics, Local Finance, Public Management, Social Security, Analysis of Public Policy, and other related topics. The main research areas are Fiscal Federalism, Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth and Redistribution. The Department also organises joint Seminars on Labour Economics and Public Finance on a regular basis.

In addition to traditional Public Economics, some faculty are leading actors in the field of Health Economics, with an important influence on the International Health Economics Association Board and the Spanish Health Economics Association.

Health economics has emerged as a field of study over the last two decades. From institutional organisation and finance, the field has evolved to a situation where a set of distinctive economic principles are systematically applied to a wide variety of health related issues: technology assessment, supplier induced demand, social insurance and regulation, and competition in health markets, amongst others. These are some of the research areas represented in the Centre for Research on Economics and Health (CRES), created in 1996.

A Workshop on Health Economics is organised by CRES and scheduled meetings on Fiscal Federalism are held on a regular basis.

Paula Bustos

Bustos, Paula
ICREA Research Professor
PhD Harvard University

Jan Eeckhout

Eeckhout, Jan
ICREA Research Professor
PhD London School of Economics

Rosa Ferrer

Ferrer, Rosa
Professora Agregada Serra Hunter
PhD Vanderbilt University

José Garcia Montalvo

Garcia Montalvo, José
Catedràtic d'Universitat
PhD Harvard University

Jaume Garcia Villar

Garcia Villar, Jaume
Catedràtic d'Universitat (on leave)
PhD London School of Economics

Teresa Garcia-Milà

Garcia-Milà, Teresa
Catedràtica d'Universitat
PhD University of Minnesota

Albrecht Glitz

Glitz, Albrecht
Professor Agregat
PhD University College London

Libertad González Luna

González Luna, Libertad
Professora Agregada
PhD Northwestern University

Sergi Jiménez-Martin

Jiménez-Martin, Sergi
Catedràtic d'Universitat
PhD Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Gianmarco Leon-Ciliotta

Leon-Ciliotta, Gianmarco
Investigador Ramon y Cajal
PhD University of California, Berkeley

Humberto Llavador

Llavador, Humberto
Titular d'Universitat
PhD University of California-Davis

Guillem López i Casasnovas

López i Casasnovas, Guillem
Catedràtic d'Universitat (on leave)
PhD University of York

Ramon Marimon

Marimon, Ramon
Catedràtic d'Universitat
PhD Northwestern University

Joan Monràs

Monràs, Joan
Investigador Ramón y Cajal (on leave)
PhD Columbia University

Vicente Ortún

Ortún, Vicente
Professor Emèrit
PhD Universitat de Barcelona

Luigi Pascali

Pascali, Luigi
Investigador Ramón y Cajal
PhD Boston College

José-Luis Peydró

Peydró, José-Luis
ICREA Research Professor (on leave)
PhD INSEAD

Marta Reynal-Querol

Reynal-Querol, Marta
ICREA Research Professor
PhD London School of Economics

Alessandro Tarozzi

Tarozzi, Alessandro
Professor Agregat (on leave)
PhD Princeton University