Basit Zafar is a Professor of Economics at the University of Michigan. His research is focused on labor economics, economics of education, and household finance. Specifically, his work seeks to understand how individuals make decisions under uncertainty. Professor Zafar's research employs a disparate set of empirical methods and techniques, including the use of subjective expectations data and experimental data.
He received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in 2008, and his B.Sc from Caltech. Before joining the faculty at Michigan, he held positions at Arizona State University and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

He joined IZA as a Research Fellow in August 2012.