The pandemic spurred a rollercoaster of quick, subsequent economic events in three years that might normally occur across three decades: record unemployment, a brief recession, federal assistance, highest inflation since the 1980s, interest rate increases, and in 2023, concerns regarding a looming recession. Some U.S. consumers have dealt with the aftermath of this whiplash by shifting their spending and saving behaviors. Our experts discuss U.S. consumer trends since the pandemic — what’s stayed the same, new phenomena, and notable policy developments.
Discussants:
The Honorable David M. Satterfield, Director, Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy
Joe Barnes, Bonner Means Baker Fellow, Baker Institute for Public Policy
Joyce Beebe, Ph.D., Fellow in Public Finance, Baker Institute for Public Policy
John Diamond, Ph.D., Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Fellow in Public Finance and Director of the Center for Public Finance, Baker Institute for Public Policy; Adjunct Professor of Economics, Rice University; and CEO, Tax Policy Advisers, LLC
Baker Briefing is a podcast that tackles the most critical foreign and domestic policy issues of the day in conversations with experts at the Baker Institute. Hosted by the Honorable David M. Satterfield, director of the Baker Institute, new episodes are released weekly.
Each episode of Baker Briefing is recorded in front of a live audience at Rice University in Houston, Texas. You can attend live recordings by joining the Baker Roundtable, the Baker Institute’s membership forum.
