economics

Using a combination of family recipes and those she has developed and refined over the years herself, Zareren Khan churned out meals for weddings, business lunches, and large corporate events before opening her eponymous restaurants in the Northern California cities of Mountain View and Palo Alto. Photos courtesy of Zareen Khan

How one restaurateur is surviving the pandemic

Running a restaurant of her own—much less three—isn’t where Zareen Khan thought she’d end up after graduating from Northeastern with a degree in economics. Now she is relying on her ingenuity and creativity to adapt to the unexpected challenges of the current crisis.

by Khalida Sarwari July 21, 2020

A national coin shortage is the latest consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

An unexpected consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic? A national coin shortage.

As people find contactless ways to pay for goods, physical money—particularly coins—have become hard to come by. But the national coin shortage is more than an inconvenience; it has serious consequences for people who routinely pay in cash or don’t have access to a bank account, says William Dickens, university distinguished professor of economics and social policy.

by Molly Callahan July 17, 2020

A man walks past mannequins in the windows of the Macy's store in the Downtown Crossing area of Boston, on April 15, 2020. U.S. retail sales plummeted in March, an unprecedented decline, as the viral outbreak forced an almost complete lockdown of commerce nationwide. AP Photo/Charles Krupa

How will the economy bounce back?

How well, and how quickly, state and federal economies recover from the COVID-19 crisis has everything to do with the choices that officials make now, says economist Alicia Sasser Modestino. “The sky is falling, but we might have some ways to put the pieces back together.”

by Molly Callahan May 1, 2020

Tables are marked off for social distancing at Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries Monday, April 27, 2020, in Nolensville, Tenn. Monday was the first day Tennessee restaurants could reopen, with reduced seating and physical distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

US public is 'firmly opposed' to reopening the economy immediately

A majority of people in the U.S. want to continue physical distancing measures, even as the federal government and some state governors are pushing to re-open the economy, according to a new national survey led by researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, and Rutgers.

by Laura Castañón April 30, 2020

Is a recession necessary to fight COVID-19?

A record 3.3 million people in the United States filed for unemployment last week. “We don’t want people to go back to work—that’s the whole point of ‘social distancing,’ of trying to bend the curve,” says William Dickens, University Distinguished Professor of economics and social policy.

by Laura Castañón and Tyler Machado March 26, 2020

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

What’s the real cost of a bottle of soda (and everything else)?

The price you pay in store doesn’t actually cover the full cost of your drink, says Northeastern economist Madhavi Venkatesan.

by Kaitlyn Budion February 19, 2020

‘If they don’t move to the other side of the road, he may just crash the car’

President Trump may be intensifying his trade war as a way to end it, says Robert Triest, professor and chair of Northeastern’s economics department. But what happens when a strategy becomes a game of chicken?

by Aria Bracci December 13, 2019

President Donald Trump takes questions during a press conference on the third and final day of the G-7 summit in Biarritz, France Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

What’s really at stake in the trade war between the US and China?

The tariffs that leaders in the United States and China imposed upon each other’s countries likely won’t have a huge effect on either economy, according to Northeastern economics professor William Dickens. But, he says, the underlying political brinkmanship could.

by Molly Callahan August 26, 2019

Ravi Ramamurti, Distinguished Professor of International Business and Strategy, is the founder and director of Northeastern’s Center for Emerging Markets. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

‘We planted a flag here at Northeastern’

Ravi Ramamurti founded the Center for Emerging Markets in 2007. “We planted the flag here at Northeastern,” he said, “and now everyone is specializing in emerging markets.”

by Molly Callahan July 11, 2018

New economic forum to examine income inequality, healthcare in America

The three-part series, which begins tonight, will feature candid discussions with prominent policymakers and thinkers. “The idea is to make economics more user-friendly, accessible, and provocative to non-specialists,” said professor and program organizer John Kwoka.

by Jason Kornwitz September 28, 2017