Professor of Public Policy and Economics (on sabbatical leave)
Wolfers is an economist with broad policy-related interests and experience. He is also affiliated with the NBER, Brookings and the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He is a contributing columnist for the New York Times and host of the “Think Like An Economist” podcast. He is a popular teacher and author of a leading economics textbook.
From A.I. to zero emissions
Ford School faculty host and are featured in a variety of podcasts, covering policy topics from artificial intelligence, everyday economics, national security, and more.
My job has always been to demonstrate to...
In a major recent New York Times article, the Ford School’s Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers represented the center-left in a discussion on economics with center-right economic advisors from the Trump administration, Jay Clayton and Gary Cohn. In...
Controversy arises as the Federal Reserve decides whether to cut interest rates less than 50 days before an election. Justin Wolfers argues the Fed should be "responding to the data, rather than the electoral cycle, or the demand of either side of...
With the upcoming presidential election, media outlets are quoting Ford School's Justin Wolfers insights on the top concern for Americans this November: the economy. Wolfers comments on economic progress in America and the expected economic...
Recent job reports have not offered a definitive answer on how much the Fed is expected to cut interest rates. Justin Wolfers of the Ford School mentioned, "There’s nothing in this report that would turn optimists pessimistic... Would it turn...
"They’re unpredictable, volatile and prone to sharp emotional swings. They have short attention spans and find change difficult because they are frequently scared of new things or overly enthusiastic about them. They’re impulsive, demand attention...
“The most likely explanation for our findings is that Black—and to a lesser extent Hispanic—families were more concerned about the health risks associated with in-person schooling than white families. This is consistent with the fact that nonwhite...
The University of Michigan has published an experts guide to the 2024 elections. Ford School faculty are available to offer insights on relevant issues impacting the elections, including the following:
Economics
Betsey Stevenson, professor of...
What’s on the barbie?
Economists Justin Wolfers and Betsey Stevenson were on the guest list as the White House hosted a State Dinner for Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in October.
Skills match
More than fifty...
Justin Wolfers, The Economic Times: Q. What do you consider the world’s greatest economic challenge today?
A. The most immediate one encompasses the tremendous disruptions of global warming and trying to transition to a greener economy. These...
Justin Wolfers, Axios: Women were "barely thought of, if at all," in economists' past labor market empirical analysis says Justin Wolfers, an economist at the University of Michigan. Plus, where it was standard for men to study men in the labor...
The threat of inflation seems to be receding and the possibility of a 'soft landing' is improving, according to a panel of economists at the Ford School.
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy Brad DeLong, and Ford...
Over this past summer, Justin Wolfers, professor of public policy and economics at the Ford School, was widely interviewed on the state of the economy and the American public's reactions to its performance.
Here are highlights from his media...
Justin Wolfers, CNN: “So I will tell you as an economist, I believe the hard numbers. The hard numbers tell us that the economy’s growing and it’s growing at a healthy rate. If you’d fallen asleep in 2019 and you woke up in 2023, you would discover...
Ford School economics professor Justin Wolfers says U.S. politicians are responsible for the recent downgrading of the country's long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating by Fitch Ratings, from AAA to AA+.
Wolfers told International...
Justin Wolfers, Marketplace: Downbeat indicators don’t tell the whole story. Take consumers, said Justin Wolfers, an economics professor at the University of Michigan. They might say they’re pessimistic about the economy.
“But if you look at what...
Ford School economics professors Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers shared their “joyous” take on economics in a recent McKinsey Global Institute Forward Thinking podcast.
Here are some excerpts from their wide-ranging discussion:
Betsey...
Ford School economics professor Justin Wolfers has been saying that a recession does not seem likely, given continuing strong employment numbers. The threat of a default, on the other hand, could have been disastrous. Here are some excerpts of his...
Justin Wolfers, MSNBC: What do companies want to do? They want to sell stuff. And if you make things with rainbow flags, they'll be happy to sell it. We do have groups all the time that protest by boycotting and that's their democratic right to do....
Ford School experts share insights as the clock ticks down toward a U.S. government default—and whether a deal can keep a financial concern from devolving into a full-blown crisis.
They discuss where things stand with the debt-limit debate...
Justin Wolfers, NPR All Things Considered: "Just like your family has to live within a budget, you might say you want Congress to live within a budget, but defaulting on the debt does not reduce our spending. It just means we stiff our creditors. So...
Amid encouraging economic indicators, bank failures, and an impending debt limit crisis, Ford School economics professor Justin Wolfers has been commenting across the media.
The debt limit debate taking place in Congress and in negotiation with...
Betsey Stevenson uses the tools of her trade to empower people and improve lives
By Daniel Rivkin
An early March ice storm in Michigan caused widespread power outages and disruptions for hundreds of thousands of households. Families had to...
Justin Wolfers, ABC Australia: If a deal isn't reached, a lot of people on Wall Street are warning of very severe circumstances, a financial crisis, which would trigger a recession, which would lead to widespread joblessness. I want to be more...
Justin Wolfers, Axios: "People find value in using their tax refunds as a forced saving device," economist Justin Wolfers wrote Axios in an email. "If the money were readily available, they might spend it. This way they can get a big check from the...
Justin Wolfers, Foreign Affairs: "The economy definitely could fall into recession—there is always a risk—but it is worth remembering that it is never a certainty. The only time horizon over which economists have a good record in predicting...
Justin Wolfers, Fast Politics: "Because of a much broader and much harder truth, which is that even if you're the most fervent believer in market forces, well-run markets require regulation. And nowhere is that more clearly the case than when...
