His research pertains to the fields of macroeconomics, monetary policy, IQ in relation to productivity,[1] short-term business cycles, and economic development.

After holding a number of visiting scholar and other academic positions, Jones joined the faculty of George Mason University in 2007.

Jones' further research has been on identifying the causal mechanisms by which IQ might affect productivity and economic growth at a national level.

Jones has used laboratory experiments involving repeated prisoner's dilemma, combined with the SAT scores of participants, to offer support for this hypothesis.

[10] Jones offers a summary of his and others' research on the relationship between IQ and national productivity in an article for The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics.

[11] Some of Jones' research has focused on the role of money, monetary policy, and mechanisms to reduce the risk of financial crisis.