Six Hundred Atlantic

Can employers do more to solve the child care crisis? Some policy groups say child care and employer would benefit if they did. Boston Fed senior policy analyst Sarah Savage discusses what deeper employer involvement looks like and what it could mean.

The Boston Fed has long studied New England’s opioid crisis because of its economic impacts. In this episode, Boston Fed writer Amanda Blanco and photographer Steve Osemwenkhae discuss what they learned from talking with people fighting addiction and helping others overcome it.

T he condition of U.S. currency–including whether it’s genuine–is the business of the Federal Reserve because healt hy currency is essential to keep the economy moving . But how do es the Fed know when notes aren’t “fit for commerce ?” Or when they’re fake ?

The pandemic could have wiped out cash, as people increasingly turned to online and touch-free transactions. Instead, cash usage fell, then held steady. Why? In this episode, we examine cash’s future and the Fed’s role in keeping it available.

Researchers have long investigated why some races have more wealth than others, and inheritances and other forms of intergenerational wealth are often seen as major factors. But Federal Reserve Bank of Boston economist Jeff Thompson says they play a minor role.

Personal excess savings in the U.S. reached extraordinarily high levels during the pandemic, peaking between $2.0 – $2.6 trillion in 2021. That’s equal to 10% of the nation’s gross domestic product. Economists believe these savings helped keep the economy moving during post-pandemic inflation because consumers could use that money to keep spending. But there’s wide disagreement about how much of t...

Opioid-related deaths spiked more than 60% in two years during the pandemic, and that intensified the focus on treating opioid use disorder. But do some treatments impact employment prospects more than others? In this episode of Six Hundred Atlantic, Boston Fed senior economist Mary Burke discusses certain opioid use disorder medications and how they affect job prospects for patients and reduce th...

In the season’s final episode, we’re looking at two ongoing pandemic-era trends. One is the unexpected surge in startups. The other is the increasing influence of automation. What do these trends and others tell us about what’s ahead for labor markets?

Some economists say the rise of remote work may be the pandemic era’s most lasting trend. And they say it comes with big benefits, like better work-life balance. But a drop in commuters could hurt cities. And others predict a remote work pullback is coming soon.

The headlines during the pandemic spoke of a Great Resignation. And millions of “missing jobs.” And a mass and permanent exodus of women from the workforce. But during the pandemic, things weren’t always what they first appeared to be.

Some thought the 20 million jobs lost in the first month of the COVID-19 lockdowns was the start of a brutal downturn. But labor markets somehow quickly bounced back. In this overview, we examine fears that weren’t realized and changes that look lasting.

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston senior economist and policy advisor Paul S. Willen , co-author of the 2023 working paper “House Prices and Rents in the 21st Century,” discusses key ways that the housing booms of the 2000s and 2020s differ. 

Boston Fed economist Bo Zhao discusses the potential financial impacts of climate change in New England, including projections from his report, “The Effects of Weather on Massachusetts Municipal Expenditures: Implications of Climate Change for Local Governments in New England.”

The Boston Fed’s chief of information security, Anjan Bagchee, is constantly monitoring the growing ransomware threat. Bagchee discusses the increasing sophistication of the attacks, their economic implications, and how organizations can protect themselves. 

The nation’s child-care sector is in crisis because affordable, high-quality care is so hard to find. But this care is even more scarce for those who don’t work 9-to-5. In a bonus episode, we hear from four moms and get insight from Boston Fed expert Sarah Savage.

The country’s sharp geographic segregation is fueling racial disparities, and our racist past has helped create divides. But researchers say a voluntary phenomenon called “racial sorting” may be playing an underappreciated role.

Researchers say even in high-crime areas, it’s usually just a few streets segments causing the problems. And they say that focusing on lowering crime in these areas of “concentrated disadvantage” can have a major impact on closing racial disparities.

There’s agreement on the need to close racial disparities, but it’s fair to ask if solutions are even possible in today’s polarized environment. So we did. Georgetown’s Harry Holzer and Brown’s Glenn Loury discuss racism, narratives, and backlash.

Racial disparities in wealth are jarringly sharp. Asians and whites are the nation’s highest-wealth groups, and they are trailed significantly by Hispanics and Blacks. Closing wealth gaps is a priority, but the gaps are both complex and controversial.

Disparities in academic achievement across racial groups exist at all levels, and they aren’t closing. No one really knows how to narrow the gaps, which defy easy diagnosis. But experts say that even if there aren’t “silver bullets,” there is hope.

The nation’s enduring racial disparities are highly politicized and emotional. Some say racism entirely explains the gaps. Others say that’s too narrow – numerous factors are at play. In this overview, we discuss what’s at stake as these gaps persist.

Racial disparities in the U.S. have persisted for decades – in wealth, in education, in crime, in neighborhoods. Their impacts are profound, their causes hotly debated. This season, we seek insight in research, data, and a mix of perspectives.

Susan M. Collins talks about taking over as president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston during a busy time for the Bank and an important and challenging time for the Federal Reserve.

The Boston Fed’s Prabal Chakrabarti is helping direct a new 3-year research effort into racial wealth disparities in Massachusetts. He discusses the project’s ambitious aims and how it expands on the Bank’s impactful “The Color of Wealth” report. 

The focus across the Federal Reserve System is curbing inflation, which just hit a 40-year high. Evidence of inflation’s effects on consumers is everywhere – in the media, in stores, at gas stations, and beyond. That’s made Americans increasingly aware of rising inflation, and according to a new study published by the Boston Fed, that can make it more difficult to rein it in. Boston Fed Senior eco...