Summer of Social Impact: Chicago Economics Research and Impact During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As people and economies around the world reel from the impact of COVID-19, one thing is clear: facts are at a premium. The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI), working with economists from across campus, has supported and disseminated rigorous research on COVID-19 and the Pandemic Recession that has informed some of the most important policy discussions in 2020. Through new platforms, including a series of economic facts, a targeted podcast, and centralized landing page for COVID-19 economics research, BFI has created avenues for rapidly translating cutting-edge research into real-world impact. Three University of Chicago economists – Peter Ganong, Michael Greenstone, and Chang-Tai Hsieh – will discuss their recent contributions to conversations around current economic policy. How should extended unemployment insurance benefits be structured to support workers during this crisis? What can we learn from extensive COVID testing and what would a successful model look like? What was South Korea’s policy response to the pandemic and with what results?