RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bruce Katz and Robert Puentes, November 20, 2009, The Hill
With rising concern about the nation’s anemic job numbers, infrastructure has emerged as a centerpiece of a number of proposed “jobs bills.” In a Hill op-ed, Bruce Katz and Robert Puentes point out that infrastructure is not necessarily a cure-all and outline the federal leadership and strategies necessary for successful investment in the way we move goods, people and power. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Jill H. Wilson and Audrey Singer, November 19, 2009, The Brookings Institution
With U.S. unemployment at a 26-year high Americans will be feeling the economic downturn for some time. Jill Wilson and Audrey Singer identify the major shifts in U.S. immigration trends that have been impacted by the economic recession. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Gary Burtless, November 09, 2009, National Journal
When the stimulus package was enacted last winter, the Obama administration said its goal was to create or save 3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010. Gary Burtless analyzes how closely the administration is coming to achieving that goal so far. He finds that, on the whole, recent reports have understated the net effect of the stimulus program on overall employment by not taking into account the indirect effects of the stimulus on consumer spending and employment. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Gary Burtless, November 06, 2009, The Brookings Institution
The latest employment and unemployment statistics confirm that, at least in the job market, this is the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, says Gary Burtless. These jobs numbers followed on the heels on new stronger productivity numbers, showing truly bad news for job seekers. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
October 29, 2009, The Brookings Institution
The nation appears to have entered a fragile state of recovery, with the worst recession since the 1930s at an end. After four straight quarters of contracting economic activity, the Commerce Department reported this morning that the economy grew in the third quarter of 2009, fueled by government spending on cars and homes. Experts from around the halls of Brookings responded to this news. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Alice M. Rivlin, September 16, 2009, PBS - Nightly Business Report
Alice Rivlin states that a comprehensive reform of the health care system is necessary to reduce the impact of future recessions on working people and make our economy more resilient. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Gary Burtless, September 15, 2009, U.S. Senate Committee on Finance
During testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Gary Burtless stated that the basic system of financing unemployment insurance is scandalously out of date and recommended that Congress consider a basic overhaul of the system. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
September 14, 2009, The Brookings Institution
The second in a series of interactive quarterly reports, the MetroMonitor ranks the nation’s 100 largest metro areas—which generate three quarters of U.S. output—on key indicators of economic performance. This edition of the monitor reveals that, amid signs at the national level that job and income losses are slowing, metropolitan economies continued to perform at highly variable rates through June 2009. While several metro areas may have reached a turning point, there are many others that still have not touched bottom, as well as a few that have almost fully recovered. Read More
PAST EVENT
Thursday, September 10, 2009
2:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Washington, DC
On September 10, the day the U.S. Census Bureau releases its new report on poverty and family income for 2008, the Brookings Center on Children and Families held its seventh annual briefing to discuss the new figures and their implications for families and policymakers. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Alice M. Rivlin, August 13, 2009, The Washington Post
Alice Rivlin responds to the Washington Post's inquiry as to whether she agreed with the Federal Reserve's statement Wednesday, following a better-than-expected employment report and brisk auto sales, that the economy is "leveling out."
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VIDEO
Alice M. Rivlin, July 31, 2009
The latest government reports show that the economy contracted at a rate of one-percent last quarter — better than expected. But the new GDP numbers showed that consumers have continued to cut spending, and unemployment is likely to continue to rise for some time. Senior Fellow Alice Rivlin says the news is good, but an end to the recession is not yet at hand.
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
William T. Dickens, July 28, 2009, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
William Dickens discusses a new method for estimating the natural rate of unemployment by simultaneously estimating the Phillips and Beveridge curves. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Kneebone and Emily Garr, July 22, 2009, The Brookings Institution
In a new analysis, Elizabeth Kneebone and Emily Garr measure recent changes in unemployment and the demand for safety net services, providing a first look at the impact of the current recession on the cities and suburbs of the country’s major metro areas. Their report reveals that, more so than the last recession, suburbs—particularly newer, lower-density exurbs—are feeling the negative effects of this downturn alongside cities. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Gary Burtless, July 15, 2009, Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs
As unemployment continues to climb, questions have arisen as to whether the stimulus package is working, how well it was designed and when it will have an impact. Gary Burtless examines its composition, finding that efforts at creating a social safety net and fiscal relief for the states were appropriately targeted and are working. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Gary Burtless, July 06, 2009, National Journal
June’s worse-than-expected payroll employment numbers have renewed debate about the success of the Obama administration’s economic stimulus. Do the numbers indicate the administration’s policies are failing? Or do they simply show that the recession is unexpectedly severe and economic forecasting is an inexact science? Gary Burtless analyzes the data. Read More