Dr. Bledi Taska is Chief Economist at QS Quacquarelli Symonds. His work looks at a question that is becoming increasingly important for universities, governments and employers: as AI and the global economy reshape work, how should education respond?
At QS, Bledi uses economic research and large-scale data to study changes in jobs, skills and labour markets, and what they mean for education, employability and workforce planning.
Outside of QS
Before joining QS, Bledi was Chief Data and Analytics Officer at TalentNeuron. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Economist at Lightcast and Burning Glass Technologies, where he helped pioneer the use of real-time labour market data to understand changes in jobs, skills, wages and career pathways.
His research has appeared in the American Economic Review, Journal of Finance, Review of Economic Studies and Nature Cities. His research and policy work have been covered by international media including The Economist, Financial Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Daily Telegraph.
Bledi has advised or collaborated with organisations including the OECD, World Bank, European Commission, UNESCO, the G20 and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. He also serves on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine committee on A Data Infrastructure for Measuring the Care Economy.
Bledi holds a Ph.D. in Economics from New York University and undergraduate and master’s degrees in Economics from the University of Athens.
Selected Research and Publications
Generative AI and Firm Values
With Andrea L. Eisfeldt, Gregor Schubert and Miao Ben Zhang. Journal of Finance, forthcoming.
Examines how firms’ exposure to generative AI is reflected in market valuations and what investors expect AI to mean for productivity, labour and firm performance.
Career Values for Labor Markets: Evidence from Robot Adoption
With Maria Petrova, Gregor Schubert and Pinar Yildirim. Management Science, Revise & Resubmit.
Looks at how automation affects workers’ career opportunities, not just employment and wages, and how occupational mobility shapes the longer-term impact of technological change.
The Demand for AI Skills in the Labor Market
With Liudmila Alekseeva, José Azar, Mireia Giné and Sampsa Samila. Labour Economics.
Uses job-posting data to examine where demand for AI skills is emerging, which firms are hiring for them and the wage premium associated with those skills.
Towards a Reskilling Revolution: A Future of Jobs for All
World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group and Burning Glass Technologies.
Develops a data-driven approach to identifying realistic job transitions and reskilling pathways for workers affected by technological and labour-market change.
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