Event

Buckle Up: It’s going to get worse before it gets better

BER presents a virtual lecture by American economist Claudia Sahm.

Claudia Sahm, an American economist and founder of Sahm Consulting, was the ninth Marjorie Deane lecturer held in November 2022. Best known for developing the Sahm Rule, a Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) indicator for identifying recessions in real-time, she has held various roles at the Fed between 2007 and 2019. She also led the Jain Family Institute’s Macroeconomic Research Initiative and was the former director of macroeconomic policy at Washington Center for Equitable Growth.

In her lecture, Sahm spoke about the recessionary pressures facing the United States and European Union, noting early signs of disinflationary pressure here in the U.S. She detailed the appropriate policy central bankers should follow to control historically high inflation without unnecessarily hurting the labor force. She also explained why the Fed shows no signs of easing any time soon and what risks to the U.S. economy may follow.

BER students asked Sahm questions about the continued path of interest rate hikes, the strength of the U.S. labor market, digital currency policies, and how best to translate complex economic topics to readers.