Tobias Sytsma

Associate Economist

Off Site Office

Education

Ph.D. in economics, University of Oregon; M.S. in intl and dev economics, University of San Francisco; B.S. in economics, Portland State University

One Page Bio

Overview

Tobias (Toby) Sytsma is an associate economist at the RAND Corporation. His research focuses on international trade and supply chain frictions, natural disasters and climate change, economic development, and workforce development. His recent research includes an analysis of climate change's impact on DoD installations, Pittsburgh's science- and technology-focused workforce ecosystem, the international trade linkages between defense industrial bases, and the implications of remote work for globalization. He is a core researcher in the RAND Lowy Family Middle-Class Pathways Center, where he studies emerging technology, automation, and remote work. Toby graduated with a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Oregon in 2020.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

The Science- and Technology-Focused Workforce Ecosystem
Cost and Benefit Analysis of Mobile Nuclear Power Plants
Assessing Risk to the National Critical Functions as a Result of Climate Change

Selected Publications

Tobias Sytsma, "Improving Preferential Market Access through Rules of Origin: Firm-Level Evidence from Bangladesh," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2021 (forthcoming)

Tobias Sytsma, "Rules of origin and trade preference utilization among least developed countries," Contemporary Economic Policy, 2021

Tobias Sytsma, "The Impact of Hurricanes on Trade and Welfare: Evidence from US Port-level Exports," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, 4(3), 2020

Honors & Awards

2021 Spotlight Innovation Award for Economic Model of Defense Industrial Bases, RAND Corporation

Commentary

International Trade

RCEP Forms the World's Largest Trading Bloc. What Does This Mean for Global Trade?
In November, 15 nations signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free-trade agreement of economic and political significance eight years in the making. Why have some heralded RCEP as a landmark agreement?
Dec 9, 2020
The RAND Blog

Publications

Report
How Can DoD Compare Damage Costs Against Resilience Investment Costs for Climate-Driven Natural Hazards? Overview of an Analytic Approach, Its Advantages, and Its Limitations
This report assesses methods to compare the damage costs from climate change-related extreme weather events against the costs of investing in U.S. Department of Defense installation resilience.
Apr 28, 2023
Report
Assessing Pittsburgh's Science- and Technology-Focused Workforce Ecosystem
RAND Corporation researchers characterize the science- and technology-focused (STF) workforce ecosystem in the Pittsburgh region and suggest policy changes and investment opportunities to help propel the region's STF sectors in the future.
Jan 9, 2023
Tool
Science and Technology-Focused Postsecondary Options in the Pittsburgh Area
RAND researchers compiled a list of science- and technology-focused (STF) providers and programs in the Pittsburgh area. Potential students can filter the list to find out which types of degrees or certificates can be earned in which STF fields.
Jan 9, 2023
Report
The Globalization of Remote Work: Will Digital Offshoring Make Waves in the U.S. Labor Market?
Digital offshoring could be one of the long-run impacts of the recent remote work boom. This Perspective looks at the history of offshoring to gain insights into the potential impact digital offshoring may have on U.S. workers.
Oct 6, 2022
Report
Does the U.S. Economy Benefit from U.S. Alliances and Forward Military Presence?
The authors evaluate claims about the potential economic benefits of U.S. military engagement and find evidence that U.S. alliances increase bilateral trade in manufactured goods, which has a modest but positive effect on overall U.S. economic welfare.
Sep 1, 2022
Tool
Climate Adaptation Strategies for National Critical Functions
This tool presents climate adaptation strategies for a set of National Critical Functions (NCFs) that are capable of mitigating the risks posed by climate change.
Jul 28, 2022
Report
Assessing Risk to the National Critical Functions as a Result of Climate Change
Researchers developed a framework to assess and manage the risk that climate change poses to National Critical Functions, then used the framework to assess the most-vulnerable ones. This report details the risk assessment portions of the framework.
Apr 5, 2022
Journal Article
Improving Preferential Market Access Through Rules of Origin: Firm-Level Evidence from Bangladesh
This paper studies how rules of origin in potential export markets influence the export behavior of firms in least-developed countries.
Mar 23, 2021
Journal Article
Rules of Origin and Trade Preference Utilization Among Least Developed Countries
This article assesses how the utilization of trade agreements responds to rules of origin revisions that allow for more foreign content in exported products.
Mar 23, 2021