Ariel is a Senior Economist in the U.S. Census Bureau's Center for Economic Studies (CES).  His current research studies the measurement, causes, and consequences of socioeconomic inequality in the United States. It makes use of linkages between demographic survey data and administrative records, and applies modern econometric methods.  He has worked on a variety of topics adjacent to labor economics, such as marriage and assortative matching, employment and time use, the gender pay gap, college major choice, intergenerational mobility, racial disparities, and housing markets.  His work has been published in both general-interest and field-specific academic journals, and has also contributed to the design of Census Bureau household surveys and operational planning for the 2030 Decennial Census.

He joined CES in 2020 in an Economist role after earning his PhD in economics, with a concentration in demography, from the University of Michigan. He also served as a Research Analyst at the International Monetary Fund from 2011-13, where he helped develop datasets and research on the sustainability of government debt and fiscal deficits during the Eurozone debt crisis.

Ariel joined the IZA network as a Research Fellow in spring 2026.  He is also a Research Fellow of the American Institute for Boys and Men and an External Faculty Affiliate of the Maryland Population Research Center. He lives in Washington, DC with his spouse and children.