Christos Makridis

My research explores the intersection of labor economics, digital technologies, and human well-being. I study how technological change—including artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and blockchain—reshapes the structure of work, productivity, and skills. A central theme in my work is understanding how institutions and policies mediate these transitions, influencing inequality, opportunity, and organizational design.

A complementary line of inquiry investigates the economic design and regulation of digital financial instruments, particularly tokenized payment and incentive systems. This work integrates quantitative risk modeling with questions of governance and compliance to evaluate how new forms of digital infrastructure can enhance efficiency while maintaining stability and trust.

Beyond labor markets and financial systems, I pursue broader questions of human flourishing and institutional governance. I help lead the applied micro-econometrics research with the Global Flourishing Study—a landmark multi-year panel of over 200,000 individuals across more than 20 countries—examining how employment, community engagement, and cultural factors interact with well-being, optimism, and health outcomes. This project provides a unique lens on the causal determinants of human flourishing across six dimensions, utilizing its longitudinal structure.

Methodologically, my research combines large-scale administrative and survey data (e.g., Gallup World Poll, Social Connectedness Index, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages) with econometric and computational approaches. I also collaborate with industry and policy organizations to translate empirical findings into actionable insights for firms, regulators, and communities. I also work with financial data, like municipal bond ratings and unconventional sources, like network (cyber) vulnerability and financial statement data.