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Dr Tim Köhler is a Senior Research Officer at the Development Policy Research Unit in the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town. As an applied development micro-economist, his research focuses on labour markets, poverty and inequality, social protection policy, education, and healthcare in South Africa and other lower-income countries. He earned his PhD in Economics from the University of Cape Town in 2024. His doctoral thesis, supervised by Professor Haroon Bhorat, examined the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on labour market inequalities in South Africa. He completed his undergraduate, honours, and master’s degrees in Economics at Stellenbosch University.
Prior to his current role, Dr Köhler worked as a Research Assistant at the Research on Socio-Economic Policy unit at Stellenbosch University and as a Research Intern in the Economic Research and Statistics Department of the South African Reserve Bank. He has conducted policy-relevant research and advisory work for South African government departments including the Presidency, National Treasury, and the Department of Employment and Labour, as well as for organisations such as the World Bank, the Brookings Institution, and UNU-WIDER. In 2025, he was a Visiting Scholar at the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research in Helsinki. His peer-reviewed publications include articles in the Journal for Labour Market Research, Development Southern Africa, BMC Public Health, and other outlets, with topics covering lockdown effects on employment, wage subsidies, class size and learner outcomes, and COVID-19 vaccination intentions. Dr Köhler has received the DataFirst Francis Wilson Memorial Prize in 2024 and the Economics Society of South Africa’s Founder’s Medal in 2019.
Explore UCT's innovative AI Youth Employment Study led by Dr. Tim Köhler, using generative AI to combat South Africa's 57% youth unemployment. RCT insights, tool features, and higher ed implications.
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