Equitable Growth 2021: People and Research Advancing Economic Evidence

What was it?

Equitable Growth 2021: People and Research Advancing Economic Evidence brought together Washington Center for Equitable Growth grantees and stakeholders to showcase cutting-edge research from our grantees on how economic inequality affects economic growth and stability. Early and mid-career, as well as established, scholars had a chance to give and receive feedback on their research, as well as discuss the relevance of that research in an evidence-backed economic agenda in 2021 and beyond.

Why you should have attended?

Research matters—perhaps now more than ever. Good policies begin with rigorous research such as the kind presented by our grantees at Equitable Growth 2021. Ongoing transformative shifts in economic thinking have brought to light the telling effects of inequality on growth in the United States, and the coronavirus recession has further laid bare structural inequality and racial inequities woven into the U.S. economy. The research presented, and the scholars who produced it, has the power to shape both new bodies of research and the U.S. economic policy agenda in 2021 and beyond.

Who attended?

Equitable Growth grantees, Steering Committee and Research Advisory Board members. Paper sessions were open to philanthropic partners and journalists, and the conference opened and closed with public events.

What was on the agenda?

From paper sessions to trainings, fireside chats, keynotes, and salon conversations, Equitable Growth 2021 focused on the people and research advancing economic evidence right now.

View the opening fireside chat and the keynote:

Equitable Growth 2021 – Welcome and Fireside Chat

Keynote with U.S. Representative Ro Khanna

Paper and panel sessions covered throughout are outlined below, with video for those sessions that were on the record:

New Insights into the Role of the Social Safety Net in Economic Stability and Individual Well-being

Labor Market Regulations and the Outcomes of Vulnerable Workers

Measurement and Dimensions of Inequality

Firms and Wage Inequality

Competition and Market Structure

Markets, Innovation, and Equitable Growth

Labor Market Institutions and Outcomes

Work and Wages

Sessions that were not on the record included:

• Policies to Address the Impact of Race and Socioeconomic Status on Economic Outcomes
• The Role of Unemployment Insurance in Supporting Workers and the Economy
• Climate Change and Environmental Harm
• Well-Being and Time at Work
• Concentration and Labor Markets

In addition to opportunities to learn about cutting-edge research, grantees also had an exclusive opportunity to learn from peers and experts on the following topics during professional trainings and informal salons:

• Navigating the Academic Job Market
• Accessing Administrative Data
• Working With the Media
• How to Mentor Graduate Students and Early Career Professionals
• Policy Training and Public Service Opportunities