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Blog Posts: Recessions

Blog Post Oct 12, 2020

What Could Additional Fiscal Policy Do for the Economy in the Next Three Years?

This analysis shows the effects on economic activity, as measured by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), of illustrative versions of several policies. Specifically, researchers examine five policies: a second round of checks to households, a resumption of enhanced unemployment insurance benefits, aid to state and local governments, support for small businesses, and other forms of fiscal support.

Blog Post Sep 3, 2020

Essential Workers during COVID-19: At Risk and Lacking Union Representation

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of essential workers are confronting new public health hazards in their workplace. Yet because of mass de-unionization over the past 40 years, most of these workers lack union representation. In this blog, Jimmy O'Donnell builds upon prior Hamilton Project work, shows how workplace conditions have changed for workers, and discusses the potential role for private-sector labor unions.

Blog Post Aug 6, 2020

Unemployment Insurance Extended Benefits Will Lapse Too Soon Without Policy Changes

In this blog post, researchers show that there is room for Congress to improve the triggers under current law that turn on and maintain the Unemployment Insurance Extended Benefits program to support the long-term unemployed when the labor market is weak. They also show that there is room for states to take full advantage of provisions under current law by opting into more generous benefit extensions.

Blog Post May 13, 2020

Incomes Have Crashed. How Much Has Unemployment Insurance Helped?

The rapid contraction of the economy this spring has shattered records for the speed of onset of a recession. One of the most economically important pieces of the nearly $3 trillion policy response has been the rapid expansion of unemployment insurance (UI). Our preliminary calculations suggest that UI offset a small portion of personal income loss in March 2020, but roughly half of lost wages and salaries in April.

Blog Post Dec 4, 2019

New SNAP Rule Change Just Made It Harder to Combat Future Recessions

The final rule on work requirement waivers, released on December 4, 2019, weakens SNAP's role as an automatic stabilizer and a critical element of the safety net. The Hamilton Project analysis finds that the final rule would respond more slowly to a recession than current rules as well as the proposed rule, would curb a state’s ability to apply for work requirement waivers when its economy is weak or relatively weak compared to the overall national economy, and would severely limit access to SNAP during a sluggish recovery.