Kassandra Hernandez

Kassandra Hernández is a Ph.D. candidate in economics at the University of California, Berkeley. Trained in labor economics and public finance, she studies how public policy exacerbates or mitigates inequality, particularly for low-wage workers and immigrants.

Her work examines worker-led enforcement mechanisms—specifically, labor code violations, lawsuits, and subsequent impacts on workers and firms.

Previously, Hernández was the inaugural research analyst at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Latino Policy and Politics Institute, where she led work on economic opportunity, (un)employment, and COVID-19 impacts on the Latino community.

Her work has been covered in both English and Spanish media and was presented to members of the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Department of State. Hernández holds an M.P.P. and a B.A. in philosophy with a minor in labor and workplace studies, both from UCLA.