Economic Insecurity and the Great Recession

The Rockefeller Foundation, the New America Foundation, and Yale University economic security expert Jacob Hacker present the release of "Economic Insecurity and the Great Recession." This launch event took place Monday, November 28, at 4:00 PM at the New America Foundation. This report is the first major update to the pioneering 2010 Economic Security Index (ESI) study, which demonstrated the breadth, persistence, and growing reach of American economic insecurity.

The ESI, launched in July 2010, is the first index to provide a unified measure of the economic insecurity of American families. The ESI demonstrated that economic insecurity for American families in 2009 and 2010 was greater than at any time on record, with approximately one in five Americans experiencing a 25 percent or greater decline in available household income.

Now, as income inequality and declining middle-class opportunity occupy the center of the national debate, "Economic Insecurity and the Great Recession" provides a unique and timely perspective on the past and present state of American economic security. "Economic Insecurity and the Great Recession" expands on the groundbreaking ESI with more up-to-date data as well as information about how different regions of the U.S. have been affected by economic insecurity.

Participants

Moderator
E.J. Dionne
Columnist, The Washington Post

Featuring
Jacob Hacker
Stanley B. Resor Professor of Political Science, Yale University

Jonathan Cohn
Senior Editor, The New Republic

Matt Yglesias
Blogger and columnist, Slate

Lawrence Mishel
President, Economic Policy Institute