5/18
Penn in the News
A round-up of Penn mentions in local, national, and international media.
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Penn In the News
Cash payments spread from Congress to Stockton to Brazil—but notion of ‘universal basic income’ far from reality
The work on “guaranteed income” programs by Amy Castro Baker of the School of Social Policy & Practice has found a renaissance in recent years, in countries such as Finland, India and Kenya, as inequality has worsened, and in the United States, after it received a boost during the 2020 presidential primaries.
Penn In the News
Unemployment is high. Why are businesses struggling to hire?
Ioana Marinescu of the School of Social Policy & Practice co-authored a study that found that every 10% increase in unemployment benefits received corresponds to a 3% decline in jobs applied to. “Right now what seems to be happening is that job creation is outpacing the search effort that workers are putting forth,” she said.
Penn In the News
Asian American leaders, racial justice advocates say ‘sense of urgency’ needed to combat hate crimes, racism
Walter Palmer of the School of Social Policy & Practice drew parallels between the racism experienced by Black and Asian American communities throughout U.S. history. “Discrimination is part and parcel of American society,” he said. “Until we admit it and own it, it will never end. It takes work to overcome this, and it means still feeling some pain.”
Penn In the News
The biggest payoff from Stockton’s basic income program: Jobs
Research co-led by Amy Castro Baker of the School of Social Policy & Practice found that a trial basic income program had profound effects on recipients, increasing economic stability and lowering psychological distress.
Penn In the News
U.S. productivity plummeted in Q4, and reopening the economy might be why
Ioana Marinescu of the School of Social Policy & Practice said reopening businesses may have contributed to a recent drop in labor productivity figures. “Businesses that were not as productive normally, such as restaurants, have started reopening,” she said. “So that drags down the average productivity.”
Penn In the News
Stockton’s basic-income experiment pays off
Research by Amy Castro Baker of the School of Social Policy & Practice found that guaranteed income did not dissuade recipients from working, instead enabling stability and helping people get out of the cycle of poverty.
Penn In the News
Texas outages shed light on a different kind of infrastructure: Human
Dan Treglia of the School of Social Policy & Practice co-authored an op-ed calling for policymakers to invest in the U.S.’s human infrastructure: economy-sustaining low-wage workers. “Going back to the pre-COVID-19 status quo, in which nearly half of U.S. households and many of our essential workers were already struggling, cannot be the goal,” they wrote. “The recovery needs to restructure our economy so that it prioritizes the economic security, health, and safety of all people.”
Penn In the News
For women in economics, the hostility is out in the open
Ioana Marinescu of the School of Social Policy & Practice spoke about her experiences in giving talks at economics conferences. “The questions were incessant, but they were awesome questions from the top people in the profession,” she said.
Penn In the News
Will 2021 be the year of guaranteed income?
Amy Castro Baker of the School of Social Policy & Practice spoke about growing support for universal basic and guaranteed income policies amid the pandemic. “The bigger question around universal basic income versus guaranteed income is which one is more politically palatable right now in the United States,” she said.
Penn In the News
How much will homelessness rise? Grim study shows possible ‘impact of doing nothing,’ researchers say
Dennis Culhane of the School of Social Policy & Practice commented on a study that found that homelessness in the U.S. could increase dramatically if a recession follows the pandemic. “This report certainly is a warning alarm for the potential impact of doing nothing,” he said.