economics

Left, Rebecca Leeper, an engineering major who graduated in 2019. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University. Center, Young Alumni Advisory Board member Cory Krzanik. Right, Lisa Randall, a journalism major who graduated in 2016. Photos by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Recent grads say giving back, staying connected bring them rewards

Several members of Northeastern’s Young Alumni Advisory Board say Giving Day allows them to express their appreciation to an organization that was pivotal in shaping their lives and careers.

by Hillary Chabot April 7, 2021

Why are women underrepresented in economics? A toxic seminar culture could be partially to blame

Economics professor Alicia Sasser Modestino helped conduct research that shows women in the field face more questions, including hostile or patronizing ones, which may lead them to choose other careers.

by Allie Nicodemo - contributor March 26, 2021

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 November 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