Publications
The Hamilton Project produces and commissions policy proposals and analyses to promote broad-based economic growth by embracing a significant role for well-designed government policies and public investment.
Economic Facts
Seven economic facts about prime-age labor force participation
Introduction
In many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic recession was unique. While the depth of employment losses rivaled the Great Recession, the recovery was relatively quick. By mid-to-late 2023, key ec...
Employment & Wages
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Posts
Proposed SNAP cuts would permanently undermine recession readiness and responsiveness
Economic Security & Inequality
Social Insurance
Tax Policy & Budget
Posts
Will the reconciliation bill’s Child Tax Credit changes leave out children in low-income working families?
Economic Security & Inequality
Tax Policy & Budget
Posts
Work requirements penalize workers in volatile occupations
Employment & Wages
Social Insurance
Tax Policy & Budget
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Policy Proposals
February 25, 2013
Better ways to promote saving through the tax system
Karen Dynan examines the design of government incentives for personal savings, outlining how reforms to these programs would improve saving and economic securi…
Policy Books
February 22, 2013
15 ways to rethink the federal budget
As policymakers work to find solutions to reduce the federal budget deficit, The Hamilton Project presents 15 pragmatic, evidenced-based proposals that would b…
Posts
December 16, 2012
How long will it take to get to 6.5 percent unemployment?
The Fed recently announced that it would keep interest rates at historic lows until the unemployment rate dropped below 6.5 percent, so long as inflation remai…
Posts
November 2, 2012
How does our economic future compare with that of 2008? A glimpse at America’s road to recovery
As Americans prepare to cast their ballots for president, many voters are pausing to assess the state of the economy. In this month’s employment analysis, The …
Posts
July 6, 2012
The role of fiscal stimulus in the ongoing recovery
The Hamilton Project examines the relationship between government spending and unemployment, finding that states that spent more during the Great Recession exp…
Posts
September 2, 2011
Taking the job gap to the state level: A closer look at the August employment numbers
As President Barack Obama prepares to give a major jobs address, Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney examine the “job gap” across the United States, looking at …
Posts
March 4, 2011
Have earnings actually declined?
The Hamilton Project updates America’s “job gap,” the number of jobs that the U.S. economy needs to create in order to return to pre-recession employment level…
Policy Proposals
February 25, 2011
Fix it first, expand it second, reward it third: A new strategy for America’s highways
Matthew Kahn and David Levinson propose a reorganization of our national highway infrastructure priorities to preserve, maintain, and enhance existing infrastr…