Policy & the Economy
May 1, 2022
Tackling Global Poverty Takes More Than Cash
New research points to the power of including psychosocial interventions—such as group problem-solving—alongside economic ones.
Dean Karlan, Christopher Udry and and coauthors
April 29, 2022
Why Are U.S. Companies Hoarding So Much Cash?
More than anything else, it comes down to taxes.
Michael Faulkender, Kristine W. Hankins and Mitchell A. Petersen
April 8, 2022
How Does Economic Uncertainty Play Out at the Local Level?
Indexing policy uncertainty by state provides new insights—and offers local governments a cautionary tale.
Scott R. Baker, Steve Davis and Jeffrey Levy
April 6, 2022
3 Economic Implications of Russia’s War on Ukraine
“We are seeing a world that’s going to be less than the sum of its parts.”
Sergio Rebelo
April 4, 2022
When Interest Rates Climb, Some Workers Are Left Behind
When the Fed moves to cool the economy, it can disproportionately hurt female, Black, and less-educated workers in slack labor markets.
Nittai K. Bergman, David A. Matsa and Michael Weber
March 17, 2022
Will Putin's War Slow China's Growth?
The additional spike in food and energy prices caused by the Russia–Ukraine conflict could be devastating for China. But the country’s neutral political stance toward the war may also yield economic gains.
Nancy Qian
March 11, 2022
How Climate Disasters Ripple Through the Labor Market
Environmental crises are increasingly leading workers to migrate. What happens next?
Albert Christoph, Paula Bustos and Jacopo Ponticelli
February 10, 2022
6 Takeaways on Today’s Economy
A finance professor breaks down the data on inflation, the labor market, and the future of cities.
Sergio Rebelo
February 1, 2022
Covid Hit in an Era of Broadband and Zoom. How Much Did That Help the Economy?
A new study sheds light on the impact of remote work on GDP in 2020.
Janice C. Eberly, Jonathan Haskel and Paul Mizen
January 7, 2022
When a Bunch of Economists Look at the Same Data, Do They All See It the Same Way?
Not at all, according to a recent study, which showed just how much noise can be introduced by researchers’ unique analytical approaches.
Robert Korajczyk, Dermot Murphy and and coauthors
December 1, 2021
Can Larger Loans Help Small Firms Grow?
Sometimes. But it turns out that lenders are bad at figuring out which businesses will benefit.
Bryan T. Gharad, Dean Karlan and Adam Osman
November 1, 2021
What Businesses Must Do to Curtail Climate Change
We need to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. This will require a new system of incentives.
Meghan Busse
September 1, 2021
In Some Markets, Competition Can Do More Harm Than Good
A study of the Rwandan coffee industry shows how informal contracts can break down as new competitors enter, resulting in higher costs and lower quality products.
Rocco Macchiavello and Ameet Morjaria
August 11, 2021
COVID Has Accelerated These 4 Labor Market Trends
From greater flexibility to higher wages, the workplace is never going to look the same.
Benjamin Friedrich
August 6, 2021
Should Americans Be Worried about Inflation Right Now?
Three economists with opposing views weigh in.
Zhengyang Jiang, Nicolas Crouzet and Efraim Benmelech
August 2, 2021
To Better Measure Economic Uncertainty, Look Beyond the Stock Market
Incorporating news sources, surveys, and even Twitter conversations can help give policymakers more nuanced data.
David Altig, Scott R. Baker, Jose Maria Barrero, Nick Bloom, Phil Bunn, Scarlet Chen and et al.
July 13, 2021
The U.S. Economy Is Still Finding Its Footing. But States Are Doing Pretty Well.
Why California is thriving—and even Illinois is on the upswing.
Therese McGuire
July 1, 2021
Measuring COVID’s Devastating Impact on Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Global surveys of more than 30,000 people revealed widespread drops in income, rising food insecurity, and an increase in domestic violence.
Dean Karlan, Christopher Udry and and coauthors
June 1, 2021
U.S. Firms Are Investing Heavily in Innovation, Yet Economic Productivity Has Slowed. Why?
The answer may lie in how pharmaceutical companies are targeting their R&D spending.
Efraim Benmelech, Janice C. Eberly, Joshua Krieger and Dimitris Papanikolaou
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