Stevenson says stock market uncertainty may not cause mass layoffs | Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
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Stevenson says stock market uncertainty may not cause mass layoffs

April 17, 2025 Marketplace
Betsey Stevenson
Betsey Stevenson at the Michigan Union

As the stock market faces shocks and falls from Trump's tariff policy, Marketplace has turned to the Ford School's Betsey Stevenson for an explanation of what this could mean for American workers. Stevenson told the network, “Layoffs are not the first thing that happens when a company starts to get anxious." She added that we will likely see companies stop hiring first.

Betsey Stevenson

Faculty Expert

Betsey Stevenson

Professor of Public Policy and Economics
Stevenson is a labor economist who publishes widely about the labor market and the impact of public policies on outcomes both in the labor market and for families. Her research explores women's labor market experiences, the economic forces shaping the modern family, and how these experiences and forces influence each other. She served as the chief economist of the U.S. Department of Labor from 2010 to 2011, participating as the secretary's deputy to the White House economic team.