The Future of Work Is Care—Can Men Adapt? | The Professor Is In

America keeps talking about manufacturing — but the labor market is growing elsewhere. In this Q&A, Justin Wolfers answers audience questions and responds to subscriber comments from his recent episode diving into the gender gap in recent job growth. Topics addressed include: how the gender wage g…

Why The Stock Market Hated May’s Strong Jobs Report | Off the Clock

In this episode of Off the Clock, Justin unwinds the week’s economic news with his friend, Stacey Vanek Smith—senior writer for Bloomberg Businessweek and cohost of the Everybody’s Business podcast. The goal of this series is to help you understand what to actually be concerned about, what you can …

The Pink-Collar Economy Is Here | Diving In

Since the start of President Trump’s second term, women have received 86% of net new payroll jobs and now hold slightly more non-farm payroll jobs than men. In this episode, Justin Wolfers explains why that shift is happening and what it says about our modern U.S. economy.  This trend is not driven…

A Gas Tax Holiday Is Performative Nonsense | The Professor Is In

What happens when politicians try to look like they’re fixing high gas prices without actually fixing them? Justin Wolfers explains why a federal gas tax holiday is bad economics, good theater, and a gift to oil companies.  In a follow-up to his explainer episode, Justin answers audience questions…

A Gas Tax Holiday Would Miss the Point—And the People Who Need Help | Diving In

A gas tax holiday sounds like relief, but gets the economics wrong in almost every direction. Today’s high prices are a war problem — not a tax problem. And cheaper gas is the exact wrong response to a shortage. When something is scarce, higher prices send a signal to conserve, but a tax cut blunt…

Is Inflation Going to Ruin the Summer? | Off the Clock

Justin Wolfers is back with Stacey Vanek Smith to break down three of the biggest stories in economic news. Starting with the arrival of new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh — and the question of which Kevin Warsh will show up for the job: the inflation hawk from the Great Recession, or a more political figur…

What Really Happens When Schools Lock Away Phones? | Diving In

What happens when students can’t instantly reach for their phones? In this episode of Diving In, Justin Wolfers breaks down the latest research on school phone bans and finds a result that’s more complicated—and more interesting—than many parents, teachers, and policymakers expected. Here's the br…

Justin Wolfers Answers Your Questions on the National Debt | The Professor Is In

In this follow-up to an episode diving in to the federal deficit, Justin Wolfers responds to audience comments and questions including: where are interest payments going? Why can’t the government just print more money? And how do changes in immigration impact our ability to pay back our debt? If y…

How to measure the true cost of war: Justin Wolfers shows you the math | Diving In

The Pentagon said the war with Iran has cost Americans $25 billion. But that number only accounts for missiles fired and equipment destroyed. The true cost of war is measured by the future we’ve given up. In this video — my Director’s Cut of an Op-Ed I wrote last week for the New York Times — I exp…

Are Met Gala Tickets Too Cheap? | Diving In

In this episode of Diving In, Justin Wolfers breaks down the economics of the Met Gala using two big ideas from economics: signaling and non-price competition. The basic point is simple: the high price of luxury goods isn't a bug in the system, it's the whole point. So instead of competing through …