I founded States Economics Advisory Services to apply lessons and analytical approaches from international development to U.S. state economies. After more than 30 years as an economist at the World Bank — the world’s premier development institution — I now work with U.S. states to improve economic performance and raise living standards through tailored, data-driven strategies.
Although I have worked in over 20 countries across Africa, Central Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, I have always had a deep and personal interest in domestic economic policy. The diversity of U.S. state economies, combined with the availability of high-quality data, presents a unique opportunity to apply tested development approaches in new and meaningful ways.
State governments shape many of the policies that most directly affect households, businesses, and communities. Decisions on public investment, taxation, education, infrastructure, and energy all have profound implications for economic growth and productivity.
Performance varies widely across states. In 2024, national GDP grew by 2.8 percent, but individual state growth ranged from -0.7 to 3.8 percent. These differences reflect not only varying endowments, but also the quality of public policy—particularly fiscal policy choices.
The U.S. has a key advantage: reliable, detailed economic data. This makes it possible to develop evidence-based strategies that are tailored to each state’s goals, challenges, and circumstances.
Every state has its own story. Even the most experienced leaders can benefit from an outside perspective—especially one grounded in both global best practices and analytical rigor.
That is where I come in: I work closely with clients to bridge the gap between data and decision-making. My role is to turn information into insight—identifying constraints, organizing priorities, and assessing policy options through the lens of evidence and experience.
My approach is collaborative, pragmatic, and always tailored to your needs. I aim to serve as a trusted advisor who brings clarity, structure, and depth to each engagement.
Dr. Sarosh Sattar, Founder
I hold a Ph.D. in Economics from Cornell University and a B.A. from Bryn Mawr College. During my career at the World Bank, I led multidisciplinary teams and worked closely with government leaders, academics, and donors to design and implement reform strategies.
During my career, I have worked on countries from four continents: Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa and at different stages of development. Every country faced challenges in multiple areas while facing budget constraints. Thus, their governments needed to identify priorities and make trade-offs. The consequences and benefits of good policy are far reaching and change lives.
Consequently, they have a large impact on their population and businesses. Public expenditures can promote economic growth, increase productivity, and improve living standards. State governments’ decisions affect not only the lives of citizens but also the size and robustness of the private sector.
The national average hides the large variation across states in the US. For example, in 2023, the US economy grew by 2.5 percent whereas state growth rates varied between -1.2 and 5.7 percent. Though the states’ resources – whether natural resources, human capital, or institutions – play an important role, so does economic policy, especially fiscal policy.
With reliable information, it is much easier to solve problems in a comprehensive and efficient way. States can also benefit from understanding how others have succeeded in addressing similar challenges. For example, if economic growth has been consistently low, then the government may want to determine the key drivers of this outcome and identify policies to accelerate growth.
Most of us think of the United States as a single, uniform economy—even though we know that is not true. State economies differ across multiple
