Optimist Economy

Rapidly changed government and corporate policies mean the era of DEI is coming to a screeching halt. But gross racial discrimination in the U.S. labor market persists. Just one example: The black unemployment rate is almost always double the white unemployment rate. In this episode we muddle through what can be said about DEI now at its funeral that wasn’t said during its lifespan.

Who are we and what in the world is an “optimist economy?”

For our first show, we (Kathryn and Robin) introduce ourselves, explain how we met, and lay out our goals for our new podcast.

We want Optimist Economy to empower listeners to understand the economy we have, but also the one we can have so they feel good about the future. The truth is, America’s best economic era is yet to come. It has to be, because there are so many good solutions out there that U.S. policymakers have never tried.

Here at Optimist Economy, we recognize that today’s economy isn’t great for a lot of Americans. That is exactly why now’s the time to talk about how it could be so much better — whether you’re hunting for a first job or worried about the future of Social Security.

Co-hosts Kathryn (a labor economist) and Robin (an editor) decided to make Optimist Economy because everyone deserves an economy worth looking forward to. Join us here every week as we work through what that is, one problem and solution at a time.

New episodes every Tuesday wherever you listen to podcasts.

You can also find us on

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Music from #Uppbeat

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