Economic Indicators
Has pay kept up with inflation?
The Brookings Economic Studies program provides analysis of current and emerging economic issues to promote innovative and practical policy solutions. Economic Studies scholars conduct rigorous research and policy analysis and communicate their findings to inform policymakers and the public in the areas of broad-based economic growth, economic opportunity and mobility, inclusive social policy, sound monetary and fiscal policy, and climate-resilient growth.
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Social Safety Net
Changes in the safety net over recent decades and their impact
U.S. Economy
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Ben Harris
Vice President and Director
- Economic Studies,
The Bruce and Virginia MacLaury Chair
Wendy Edelberg
Senior Fellow
- Economic Studies
William G. Gale
Senior Fellow
- Economic Studies,
The Arjay and Frances Fearing Miller Chair in Federal Economic Policy,
Co-Director
- Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
Sanjay Patnaik
Director
- Center on Regulation and Markets,
Bernard L. Schwartz Chair in Economic Policy Development,
Senior Fellow
- Economic Studies
Gopi Shah Goda
Director
- Retirement Security Project,
Alice M. Rivlin Chair in Economic Policy,
Senior Fellow
- Economic Studies
David Wessel
Director
- The Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy,
Senior Fellow
- Economic Studies
Tara Watson
Director
- Center for Economic Security and Opportunity,
John C. and Nancy D. Whitehead Chair,
Senior Fellow
- Economic Studies
In the news
ABC News March 10, 2025
Aaron Klein joins an ABC News broadcast to discuss the impact of Trump administration tariffs on the American economy.
Aaron Klein
Miriam K. Carliner Chair - Economic Studies, Senior Fellow - Center on Regulation and Markets @AaronDKlein
Marketplace February 12, 2025
Gopi Shah Goda discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the Social Security program.
Gopi Shah Goda
Director - Retirement Security Project, Alice M. Rivlin Chair in Economic Policy, Senior Fellow - Economic Studies @ipogadog
TIME February 12, 2025
Women who earn more than their husbands actually do more housework in an effort to compensate for their higher earnings and the psychological drama involved.
Isabel V. Sawhill
Senior Fellow Emeritus - Economic Studies, Center for Economic Security and Opportunity @isawhill
NPR October 28, 2024
Marta Wosińska appears on NPR’s Planet Money to discuss shortages of generic drugs in the US healthcare system.
CNBC October 18, 2024
CNBC’s “Squawk Box” interviews Don Kohn about the dangers of presidents trying to influence the Federal Reserve and its monetary policy efforts.
Donald Kohn
Robert V. Roosa Chair in International Economics, Senior Fellow - Economic Studies
Bloomberg October 18, 2024
Ben Harris joins Bloomberg TV to discuss the U.S. presidential candidates’ economic agendas and how immigration policy could affect the national economy.
Ben Harris
Vice President and Director - Economic Studies, The Bruce and Virginia MacLaury Chair @econ_harris
Reuters October 14, 2024
Reuters columnist Jaime McGeever interviews Gian Maria Milesi Ferretti about the U.S. government’s borrowing and how AI could affect those liabilities.
Yahoo! News September 26, 2024
Bloomberg quotes Ben Harris on the importance of the business community for a potential Harris administration.
Ben Harris
Vice President and Director - Economic Studies, The Bruce and Virginia MacLaury Chair @econ_harris
Tradeoffs September 19, 2024
Marta Wosinska discussed supply chains and prescription drug prices on the Race to the Bottom podcast.
CNBC August 16, 2024
Ben Harris joins CNBC Squawk Box to discuss Vice President Kamala Harris’ economic agenda and her speech laying out plans to tackle price gouging and the U.S. housing shortage.
Ben Harris
Vice President and Director - Economic Studies, The Bruce and Virginia MacLaury Chair @econ_harrisBrookings Papers on Economic Activity
The Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (BPEA) is a semi-annual academic conference and journal that pairs rigorous research with real-time policy analysis to address the most urgent economic challenges of the day.
Past Event
March
28-29
2024
U.S. Economy
BPEA Spring 2024 Conference
Banking & Finance
The evolution of banking in the 21st century
Monetary Policy
Why do we dislike inflation?
Public Health
The impact of vaccines and behavior on US cumulative deaths from COVID-19
