Matthew Johnson, Bruce L. Payne Associate Professor of Public Policy

Please note: Matthew has left the "Economics" group at Duke University; some info here might not be up to date.

Matthew Johnson is an Associate Professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. His research seeks to understand how different regulations, policies and shifts in the labor market affect working conditions in the United States. Much of his current work focuses on the estimating the effects of health and safety regulations on firms and workers, and investigating what factors influence compliance with these regulations. He received his PhD in economics from Boston University, and his BA in economics and history from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Here is a link to his CV. For a list of his published and ongoing papers, please visit his personal website.

Contact Info:

Office Location:	216 Rubenstein Hall, Box 90312, Durham, NC 27708
Email Address:
Web Page:	https://sites.google.com/site/mslaterjohnson/

Teaching (Spring 2026):

• PUBPOL 490S.02, CAPSTONE SEM: SP TOP Synopsis

  Rubenstein 151, MW 01:25 PM-02:40 PM

  (also cross-listed as ECON 390S.02)

• PUBPOL 890.14, SPECIAL TOPICS Synopsis

  SEE INSTRU , MW 01:25 PM-02:40 PM

Education:

Ph.D.	Boston University	2016
B.A.	University of California, Berkeley	2007

Recent Publications   (More Publications)

1. Johnson, MS; Schwab, D; Koval, P, LEGAL PROTECTION AGAINST RETALIATORY FIRING IMPROVES WORKPLACE SAFETY, Review of Economics and Statistics, vol. 106 no. 5 (September, 2024), pp. 1236-1253 [doi]  [abs]
2. Viswanathan, K; Johnson, MS; Toffel, MW, Do safety management system standards indicate safer operations? Evidence from the OHSAS 18001 occupational health and safety standard, Safety Science, vol. 171 (March, 2024) [doi]  [abs]
3. Johnson, MS; Levine, DI; Toffel, MW, Improving Regulatory Effectiveness through Better Targeting: Evidence from OSHA, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, vol. 15 no. 4 (January, 2023), pp. 30-67 [doi]  [abs]
4. Charles, KK; Johnson, MS; Stephens, M; Lee, DQ, Demand conditions and worker safety: Evidence from price shocks in mining, Journal of Labor Economics, vol. 40 no. 1 (January, 2022), pp. 47-94 [doi]  [abs]
5. Johnson, MS, Regulation by shaming: Deterrence effects of publicizing violations of workplace safety and health laws, American Economic Review, vol. 110 no. 6 (June, 2020), pp. 1866-1904 [doi]  [abs]