April 18, 2013

Society of Government Economists Luncheon with John Schmitt

Noon - 1:30 p.m.
Chinatown Garden
618 H St NW
Washington, D.C. 20001

The Society of Government Economists is hosting a luncheon and discussion with CEPR Senior Economist John Schmitt. The cost is $16 for members and affiliates and $25 for non-members. The luncheon is a joint event with the National Economists Club. To register for the lunch, please go to the National Economists Club.

April 17, 2013

What Next for the Eurozone? Macroeconomic Policy and the Recession

2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
The World Bank
Room MC - C1 - 100
1818 H St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20006

The eurozone is mired in its second recession in three years, and the most recent IMF projections show a decline in GDP for 2013. Unemployment has hit a record level of 11.9 percent for the eurozone, with Greece and Spain having jobless rates of 26 percent. The risks of a serious financial crisis in the eurozone have subsided considerably since last year, but remain significant enough to possibly affect world economic growth and employment. CEPR Co-Director Mark Weisbrot will take part in a forum that will look at macroeconomic policy in the eurozone and the challenges to restoring employment and growth. Participants also include Prakash Loungani — an advisor in the IMF’s Research Department, co-chair of the IMF’s Working Group on Jobs and Growth, and a member of the World Economic Forum’s council on employment issues — and Jo Marie Griesgraber, executive director of the New Rules for Global Finance Coalition. For those who are not yet accredited for the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings, day passes to enter and attend the event are available for those who RSVP by 1 PM on Monday, April 15. 

April 17, 2013

The Great Recession: The Forces that Make it Great

3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Colorado State University
A101 Clark
1126-1298 Central Avenue Mall
Fort Collins, CO, 80521

More than five years after it began the effects of the recession continue to linger. The economy is still down almost 9 million jobs from its trend growth path. CEPR Co-Director Dean Baker, a prolific blogger and columnist, will take part in a discussion on why the Great Recession was so painful and what we can do to get the economy back up to speed. For more information, visit the event website.

April 8, 2013

The Safety Net, Sequestration and Austerity Politics

5:30 - 9 p.m.
Borough of Manhattan Community College
Richard Harris Terrace
199 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10013

CEPR Co-Director Dean Baker will take part in a panel discussion on the history and importance of the Social Security safety net. Other panelists include James Parrott of the Fiscal Policy Institute, Frances Fox Piven of the CUNY Grad Center and Michael Zweig of SUNY Stony Brook and U.S. Labor Against the War. The event is being organized by the Professional Staff Congress—CUNY. For more information, visit the event website.

March 28, 2013

Rhode Map to Economic Progress

8:30 a.m. - noon
Rhodes on the Pawtuxet
60 Rhodes Pl
Cranston, RI 02905

Is the American Dream slipping away for too many Rhode Islanders? Recent data on financial security finds that many residents cannot afford to meet their basic needs, let alone save for a home, college, or retirement. CEPR Co-Director Dean Baker was the keynote speaker at a conference aimed at presenting data and discussing policy solutions that would help working families get ahead. More information about the event is available here.

March 11, 2013

Cost-of-Living Adjustments and Federal Benefits: Understanding the Full Implications of Change

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Capitol Visitor Center
Room SVC 203-02
Southeast Drive
Washington, D.C. 20004

Benefits from Social Security and other federal programs are regularly increased based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).  Adopting either of two proposed new CPI measures would have large effects on benefit levels.  Use of the chained CPI would reduce annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs).  Use of the CPI-E, designed to reflect the purchases of older Americans, would increase COLAs. What do we know about the groups that will be affected by a change? How will use of the chained CPI or the CPI-E affect Social Security beneficiaries over time? How will a change affect veterans, Americans with disabilities, and people with very low incomes? AARP sponsored a discussion on how the federal government measures the cost of living and how changes being considered will impact a range of government programs that serve tens of millions of Americans. CEPR Co-Director Dean Baker took part in the briefing, along with Stephen Goss, chief actuary at the Social Security Administration; Sita Slavov, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute; and Rebecca Vallas, staff attorney at Community Legal Services in Philadelphia. You can watch the briefing on C-SPAN.

Presentation

March 7, 2013

The Future of Economic Security: Work and Social Insurance

2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Public Welfare Foundation
1200 U Street N.W.
Washington D.C., 20009

CEPR Senior Economist Eileen Appelbaum participated in a discussion on economic security as part of an annual policy briefing hosted by the Working Group on Labor and Community Partnerships of the Neighborhood Funders Group. Other participants included Naomi Walker of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees; Cathy Albisa, executive director of the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative; and Edward F. Coyle, executive director of the Association of Retired Americans & Social Security Works. For more information, visit the event website.

March 4, 2013

Beyond Deficit Reduction: How Has the Macroeconomic Environment Changed?

1:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
Hart Senate Office Building
Room 902
200-262 2nd St NE
Washington, D.C. 20002

CEPR Co-Director Dean Baker took part in a panel discussion titled "Beyond Deficit Reduction: How Has the Macroeconomic Environment Changed?" as part of the National WIC Association's 23rd Annual Washington Leadership Conference. Dean was joined on the panel by Robert Greenstein, director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Information can be found on the event's website.

February 25, 2013

Minimum Wage and a Sustainable Economic Future

4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
University of Minnesota
Cowles Auditorium, Humphrey School of Public Affairs
301 19th Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55455

CEPR Senior Economist John Schmitt participated in a panel discussion on the minimum wage, which also included economists Ann Markusen of the University of Minnesota and Doug Hall of the Economic Policy Institute. The event was hosted by JOBS NOW Coalition and the University of Minnesota Labor Education Service. For more information, visit the event website.

February 20, 2013

The Future of Social Security with Dean Baker

5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
University of Washington - Tacoma
Philip Hall
1918 Pacific Ave.
Tacoma, WA 98402

CEPR Co-Director Dean Baker participated in a talk about the challenges and opportunities facing Social Security. Marilyn Watkins, policy director at the Economic Opportunity Institute, also participated.