6.22
Kristen de Groot
News Officer
krisde@upenn.edu
Economics
Flipping the pyramid: Steps companies can take to close the opportunity gap
Flipping the pyramid: Steps companies can take to close the opportunity gap
With the pandemic exposing and widening the income and digital access gap among communities in the U.S., two Wharton experts outline ways companies can innovate to close the digital, health, and economic gap in minority communities.
Wharton economist talks ensuing coronavirus stimulus bill
Wharton economist talks ensuing coronavirus stimulus bill
Richard Prisinzano of the Penn Wharton Budget Model discusses the competing bills being debated in Congress while extended unemployment benefits stand in limbo.
Post-pandemic retirement: Can we build more resilient systems?
Post-pandemic retirement: Can we build more resilient systems?
A report by the Penn Wharton Budget Model finds that the Social Security Trust Fund in the U.S. would run out of money in 2032 or 2034—between two to four years earlier than pre-pandemic projections.
Will coronavirus bailouts save the U.S. economy?
Will coronavirus bailouts save the U.S. economy?
A new paper by Wharton professor Tim Landvoigt weighs four policy scenarios for government relief measures in the wake of pandemic bankruptcies.
A unique recession amidst a global pandemic
A unique recession amidst a global pandemic
The U.S. economy officially entered a recession in February as the viral pandemic started its sweep across the nation. Francis Diebold and Jesús Fernández-Villaverde share why this one is unprecedented, and what to expect in the coming months.
How the COVID-19 lockdown is affecting India’s households
How the COVID-19 lockdown is affecting India’s households
The lockdown in India coincides with an already-existing period of economic distress. A new study finds that nearly a third of all households will not be able to survive beyond a week without state assistance.
Building capacity to combat COVID-19 in Africa
Building capacity to combat COVID-19 in Africa
Building capacity to combat COVID-19 in Africa. Wharton School students, along with the Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research, are issuing a call for proposals for a new initiative designed to aid in the fight against the coronavirus.
Already in fiscal crisis, rural hospitals face COVID-19
Already in fiscal crisis, rural hospitals face COVID-19
LDI’s Eighth virtual “Experts at Home” seminar on May 29 brought together top academic and government experts to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural health and hospitals.
The politics of pandemics: Why some countries respond better than others
The politics of pandemics: Why some countries respond better than others
The capacity of a state and the degree of economic inequality among its residents will determine how it copes in a pandemic. Whether it is a democracy or a dictatorship matters relatively less.
Will the pandemic cause food shortages?
Will the pandemic cause food shortages?
Wharton’s Marshall Fisher examines what’s behind the supply chain disruptions in grocery stores, with suppliers experiencing production slowdowns due to the pandemic.
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In the News
CNBC
Republicans call the $600 unemployment boost a disincentive to work. Many experts disagree
Ioana Marinescu of the School of Social Policy & Practice weighed in on claims by Republican lawmakers that a $600 weekly unemployment benefit deters people from seeking work. “It doesn’t matter in the current state of the labor market,” she said. “It’s focusing on the wrong thing. It’s not relevant at all in the current context.”
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NJ.com
Tax health insurance coverage to make it more affordable? That’s Greek to me
Mark V. Pauly of the Wharton School commented on a New Jersey proposal to impose a 2.5% tax on health insurance. “They want to tax insurance for middle-class people to subsidize it for low-income people? It would be much fairer to tax the income of higher income people than to tax their insurance, since spending on insurance does not grow that rapidly with income,” he said.
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Politico.com
‘This is health care moonshot time’: Pandemic pulls Biden, Dems further left
PIK Professor Ezekiel Emanuel said, of public support for universal health care, “There’s been a shift toward more receptivity to bigger solutions to both of our biggest problems: coverage and affordability. But people’s thinking hasn’t caught up with the dire situation we’re in.”
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CNBC
A second Great Depression? Unemployment crisis hits big cities hard
Ioana Marinescu of the School of Social Policy & Practice spoke about the pandemic’s effects on the economies of major U.S. cities. “Los Angeles, sadly, is going through a new health crisis,” she said. “New York isn’t. And yet, the unemployment numbers are still so bad. That shows to me how scarring the effects of the coronavirus are.”
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The New Yorker
The promising results of a citywide basic-income experiment
Amy Castro Baker of the School of Social Policy & Practice helped design a pilot study on universal basic income for Stockton, California, and has been studying the results of the experiment.
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Bloomberg
Wharton’s Siegel sees inflation return, strong consumer spending in 2021
Jeremy Siegel of the Wharton School said 2020’s pandemic will lead to strong consumer spending in 2021. “This money in people’s accounts is going to be spent,” he said.
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