Jesse Lastunen

Research Associate

Jesse Lastunen is a research associate at UNU-WIDER, specialising in tax-benefit microsimulation modelling. His research interests include labour and public economics, with a focus on social policies, taxation and employment. Currently, Jesse coordinates the research and technical assistance activities in Viet Nam, Rwanda and Uganda as part of the SOUTHMOD project. He led the efforts to harmonize and integrate the SOUTHMOD microsimulation models for the Global South.

Jesse has previously worked for organizations such as OECD, RAND Corporation, Internet Association and the Technopolis Group, conducting policy-oriented research on the intersection of technological change and the labour market. He received his PhD in policy analysis from the Pardee RAND Graduate School, with analytical concentrations in economics and quantitative methods. He has master’s degrees in international economics and technology policy.

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Phone +358-(0)9-615 99225

Email lastunen@wider.unu.edu

Twitter JesseLastunen

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CV Jesse Lastunen (pdf, 335.3 KB)

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29 articles, publications, projects, experts...

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    Workshop
    Second UGAMOD retreat

    The fourth training event on UGAMOD , the tax-benefit microsimulation model for Uganda, is organized as a five-day research retreat, intended to empower participants to use UGAMOD to answer their own policy questions. The retreat is composed of two...

    10 July 2023 – 14 July 2023
    Uganda Revenue Authority, Kampala, Uganda
    Past event
    Presentation
    SOUTHMOD presentation at the LOTTE-Skatt conference

    The tax-benefit model LOTTE-Skatt is a key tool of Norwegian tax policy decision-making. To mark its 50th anniversary Statistics Norway and the Norwegian Ministry of Finance organise a conference in Oslo 15–16 June 2023. UNU-WIDER Research Associate...

    15 June 2023 – 16 June 2023
    Radisson Red Oslo Økern, Oslo, Norway
    Past event
    Working Paper
    Evaluating the impact of the 2023–2024 personal income tax reform in Rwanda

    Establishing an equitable and efficient tax system is essential for reducing poverty, combating inequality, and fostering sustainable economic growth. Rwanda’s government has recognized this and implemented significant changes to the personal income...

    Blog
    SOUTHMOD family extended: Welcome to the three new Latin American teams

    How would progressive income taxation affect income inequality in Bolivia? What are the costs and benefits of implementing a state pension in Colombia...

    Report
    SOUTHMOD country report Rwanda - RWAMOD v1.0

    This report documents RWAMOD, the SOUTHMOD model developed for Rwanda. It describes the different tax-benefit policies in place, how the microsimulation model picks up these different provisions, and the database on which the model runs. It concludes...

    Technical Note
    Dealing with the oversimulation of taxes and benefits in SOUTHMOD microsimulation models

    SOUTHMOD tax-benefit microsimulation models may in some cases oversimulate taxes or benefits, generating greater expenditure, a greater number of beneficiaries, or greater amounts of taxes or taxpayers than reported in administrative data. Drawing on...

    Working Paper
    The role of social protection and tax policies in cushioning crisis impacts on income and poverty in low- and middle-income countries

    In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries enacted tax and social protection measures to help mitigate the economic hardship faced by individuals and households. This experience underscores the need to better understand the impact of...

    Working Paper
    Tax-benefit microsimulation model in Rwanda

    This paper assesses the feasibility of developing a tax and benefit microsimulation model in Rwanda. Tax-benefit microsimulation can be used to explore ways in which national development goals can be achieved in a cost-effective manner, and to assess...

    Technical Note
    On-model adjustment of incomes during COVID-19 in SOUTHMOD tax-benefit microsimulation models

    This note describes methods to derive employment-to-unemployment transition shares across industries during the COVID-19 pandemic and to use these shares in SOUTHMOD tax-benefit microsimulation models to adjust relevant labour market variables. The...

    Working Paper
    Does the adoption of peer-to-government mobile payments improve tax revenue mobilization in developing countries?

    Developing countries need to raise sufficient tax revenue to finance development. Revenue mobilization is often hampered by limited tax compliance, weak institutions, and technical problems with tax collection. One solution to these challenges is...

    Presentation
    SOUTHMOD presented at the Zurich Conference on Public Finance in Developing Countries

    The 6th Zurich Conference on Public Finance in Developing Countries brings together leading economists working on public economics in developing countries on 13-15 December 2021. The online event provides an opportunity for researchers from different...

    13 December 2021 – 15 December 2021
    Online, Zurich, Switzerland
    Past event
    Blog
    The pandemic and Africa's social safety net

    The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that African tax and social-benefit systems are currently ill-equipped to protect households from sudden income losses...

    Blog
    Efforts to protect the poor during COVID: How five African countries fared

    The number of people living in poverty around the world is estimated to have increased by half a billion people due to the COVID-19 crisis. The...

    Policy Brief
    New directions for presumptive tax in Uganda
    Working Paper
    An assessment of presumptive tax in Uganda

    Presumptive tax, a final tax on business income, was introduced in Uganda in 1997. The latest reform to the regime in July 2020 sought to make the system more progressive, simpler, and fairer to small firms. In this work, we evaluate the reform...

    Policy Brief
    Distributional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda
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