Kyla Thomas is a sociologist at the Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research at the University of California, Los Angeles. Broadly, her research interests include the sociology of culture, social stratification, economic sociology, and experimental methods. Currently, her work focuses on the cultural mechanisms through which social and economic inequalities are reproduced in institutions like the U.S. labor market. She is also the director of LABarometer, a quarterly survey designed to track social and economic conditions in Los Angeles County with a focus on four key issues: livability, mobility, sustainability, and affordability.