Justin Wolfers

Showing 91 - 120 of 224 results

In the Media

Stevenson and Wolfers' textbook praised for helping to modernize how we teach economics

Mar 20, 2021 The Economist

"Textbooks are evolving too. Last year, Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers of the University of Michigan published a tome that tries to avoid representation biases. Its description of the mechanics of monetary policy also scores well," writes The...

News

Wolfers co-authored paper looks at systemic sexism in economics

Feb 28, 2021

A paper on which Ford School economics professor Justin Wolfers collaborated (with Pascaline Dupas, Alicia Sasser Modestino, Muriel Niederle, and a broader set of 97 economist collaborators known as the Seminar Dynamics Collective), “Gender and the...

In the Media

Wolfers: New stimulus is just the first half of the bridge

Jan 5, 2021 NPR

Wolfers: "This is a bill that's going to provide extra support for the unemployed, who really are among the most needy right now, all the way through till the middle of March, when we know the vaccine's not really going to be widely available until...

In the Media

Stevenson and Wolfers share what gives them hope as 2020 comes to a close

Dec 14, 2020 NPR Planet Money

On “The Indicator” from NPR’s Planet Money podcast, professors Stevenson and Wolfers share what’s giving them hope as the year draws to a close. For Stevenson, employers are coming to recognize the real struggles their employees (particularly...

State & Hill

Faculty News fall 2020

Dec 9, 2020

Javed Ali organized a panel for New America on domestic terrorism. His new podcast, The Burn Bag, produced with two Ford School alumni, A'ndre Gonawela (BA ‘19) and Ryan Rosenthal (BA ‘19), has featured U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, General David...

In the Media

Student loan forgiveness proposals bad macro econ policy, says Wolfers

Dec 6, 2020 Chicago Tribune

Most of the [student loan debt] relief would go to people who don't need it and would merely sock it away. "This is the worst macro policy I've ever heard of," said Wolfers. It would make far more sense to funnel money to low-income and unemployed...

In the Media

Wolfers says people need pandemic relief grants

Dec 2, 2020 NPR Marketplace

Grants should go to people, said Wolfers. “Unlike previous recessions, we should really design the package around income support for the millions of people who are either without work or on incredibly reduced hours,” he said. You can read and...

In the Media

Wolfers: Biden's emerging team of economic advisers committed to full employment, boosting wages

Nov 30, 2020 Common Dreams

Wolfers praised Biden's emerging team of economic advisers...as "damn solid. This is a group that is individually and collectively committed to both full employment and boosting wages," he said. Read the full Common Dreams article about Biden's...

In the Media

Ford School professors discuss 2020 election results, next administration's priorities

Nov 19, 2020 Michigan Daily

Wolfers said, “The hard work begins now. So, the dramatic recovery we’ve seen, it’s over. And now it’s going to be a long slow grind and the question is how long and how slow? And what role does policy have to play in that?” Read the full...

Weill Hall entrance with "Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy" etched into the glass

In the Media

Wolfers: Postpone Thanksgiving to save lives

Nov 19, 2020 New York Times

"Let’s postpone Thanksgiving until May 27. By then Americans should have a lot more to be thankful for, including the likely availability of at least two highly effective vaccines, perhaps the freedom to get together with friends and possibly the...

In the Media

Wolfers offers advice on the most urgent economic tasks for the next four years

Nov 6, 2020 New York Times

"Think of this initial fiscal stimulus as a down payment on your most important medium-term macroeconomic goal, which must be to fortify the economy against future shocks. Another downturn could be catastrophic for many households and businesses...

In the Media

Wolfers says economic issues dominate last days of the election

Oct 31, 2020 ABC Australia

"The U.S. GDP rebound leaves the economy in a hole as deep as the darkest days of the Great Recession that occurred after the financial crisis. Trump has been a disappointment in many ways for people in the Rust Belt. And a challenge for a Biden...

In the Media

Trump's economic "lie" may have lost its punch - Wolfers

Oct 31, 2020 Huffington Post

“Reality has caught up with him. He had a huge lead in terms of people’s confidence in him as an economic manager, and he blew it,” says Justin Wolfers. “One issue is that people don’t trust what he says anymore. Another is, well, look around —...

News

Positive GDP growth numbers won’t boost Trump’s reelection argument - Barr and Wolfers

Oct 30, 2020

News released Thursday that the U.S. third quarter GDP growth rate was 7.4%, or a record annualized rate of 33.1%, will not provide President Trump with a bounce in his support as the election nears, according to Ford School Dean Michael Barr and...

In the Media

Wolfers cited as top 10 influencer for Biden economic policy

Oct 29, 2020 The 10 people most likely to influence the economic policy of a President Biden

In an article in Bloomberg, Ford School professor Justin Wolfers was cited as one of the 10 most influential economists that could be advising a new Biden administration. In the list compiled by Baron Public Affairs, he is one of three "economic...

In the Media

Statistical tools are broken when it comes to COVID-19 recession, says Wolfers

Oct 27, 2020 New York Times

“Statistics that we are used to using for small and slow movements are basically broken when it comes to looking at large and rapid movements,” said Wolfers. “Typically a recession plays out over many quarters. This one played out over many weeks....

In the Media

Wolfers on potential liability for irresponsible COVID-19 choices

Oct 6, 2020 Washington Post

"The purpose of liability law is to incentivize responsible behavior by making irresponsibility costly", said Wolfers. “We’d expect to see many more irresponsible choices being made by those taking the president’s comments to heart." Read the...

In the Media

Wolfers says inflation rate shift unfavorable to low-income people

Sep 14, 2020 Vox

“People are buying more of the essentials, like groceries, forcing their prices up. And they’re buying fewer airline tickets and less gasoline and clothing, pushing those prices down.” Read the full article in...

News

Stevenson and Wolfers: "Think Like an Economist"

Aug 21, 2020

Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers have launched a new podcast, called "Think Like an Economist." In a series of tweets on August 19, @JustinWolfers explained: We’re calling it Think Like an Economist because we want to teach you to,...

News

Stevenson and Wolfers: Michigan’s go-slow approach good for public health and economy

Aug 13, 2020

When other states were reopening their economies in May, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was taking a go-slow approach, which infuriated small business owners and Republican legislators. An article in Mlive says that as COVID-19 cases are surging in...

News

Did the U.S. economy shrink by 32.9 percent?

Aug 4, 2020

The devastating GDP numbers announced at the end of July—a decline of 9-and-a-half percent—are the worst in American history, according to Ford School economics professor Justin Wolfers. The way the numbers are reported, that at an annualized rate...

News

Making sense of the complex unemployment numbers

Jul 10, 2020

On July 2nd, the Labor Department reported that 4.8 million jobs had been added, and unemployment stood at 11% - still higher than it was at the peak of the Great Recession in 2008 — with 17.8 million Americans still out of work. Ford School...

News

"Planet Money Summer School " features Stevenson and Wolfers

Jul 7, 2020

Planet Money, the irreverent and informative NPR podcast, is convening a Summer School starting on July 8, “turning it's podcast feed into a classroom for the masses, for anyone who wants to see the world through the lens of an economist.” Ford...

Stevenson and Wolfers explain COVID-19 economic and financial turmoil

Jun 12, 2020

Last week’s surprising employment report, stock market recovery and loss, a statement from the Fed chair and a search for context marked the week ending June 12. Ford School economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers were called upon by the...

Was the drop in unemployment predictable? It depends who you ask...

Jun 5, 2020

An article in Vox.com on June 5, reacting to the surprising drop in the unemplyment rate, quoted Ford School economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers : "Betsey Stevenson, the former chief economist at the US Department of Labor and a...

Wolfers says coronavirus-led economic recession reveals gaps in U.S. safety net

Jun 1, 2020

Against the backdrop of the severe U.S. economic downturn caused by the coronavirus, Ford School economics professor Justin Wolfers told ABC News Australia May 31 that the country was ill-prepared to provide a safety net for its citizens. The...

State & Hill

Discourse: Faculty in the news from the Spring 2020 issue of State & Hill

May 22, 2020

“The government needs to make sure the hardest-hit families have enough income to keep food on their tables...in a rapidly unfolding crisis, the type of aid that’s offered may matter at least as much as the quantity.” Betsey Stevenson and Justin...

State & Hill

Spotlights – Spring 2020 State & Hill

May 22, 2020

All hands on deck Ford School faculty and research centers have been actively involved with the policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Luke Shaefer is advising the state on how to reduce the impact on low-income families. Michael Barr, Betsey...

Ford School Policy Talk: Hope for economic recovery tied to health success

May 22, 2020

The U.S. and global economy will only recover when major improvements in healthcare and the ability to combat the coronavirus take hold. The crisis has exacerbated inequality along racial, ethnic and economic lines. This recession is unlike any...

Wolfers puts public health at the center of economic recovery

May 15, 2020

The current method for calculating Gross Domestic Product is missing “the immense value of the sacrifices being made by millions of people who have stayed at home to stop the spread of the coronavirus,” Ford School economics professor Justin Wolfers...