Barbara A. Butrica, Ph.D., is the Director of Research of the National Institute on Retirement Security. A nationally recognized expert in retirement policy, Social Security, and workforce research, she brings more than two decades of experience to the role. Butrica will lead the NIRS research agenda, overseeing the development of rigorous, data-driven analysis to inform policymakers, stakeholders, and the public on the state of retirement security in the U.S.
Butrica most recently served as a Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute, where she designed and led major research and evaluation projects focused on retirement income, Social Security, and the economic well-being of older Americans. Throughout her distinguished career, she authored or co-authored more than 150 research publications and has been widely cited in academic journals, policy briefs, and national media. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Social Insurance and has provided expert testimony and analysis to federal agencies and policymakers on retirement and labor issues.
Butrica holds a Ph.D. in economics from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Wellesley College.
Workforce Turnover and Retention in the Public Sector: Insights from Public Pension Plans
This report examines how retention changes over public employees’ careers and varies across public workforces and retirement systems. The analysis draws on actuarial turnover assumptions and other information collected from 136 state-administered public pension plans representing 203 plan-employee groups and 12.8 million active members.
Retirement Insecurity 2026: Americans’ Views of Retirement
New national research from the National Institute on Retirement Security finds that 80 percent of Americans say the nation faces a retirement crisis as rising costs and debt make it increasingly difficult to save. The report, Retirement Insecurity 2026: Americans’ Views of Retirement, also finds widespread concern about financial security in retirement, strong support for pensions, and growing caution about the role of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency in retirement planning.
