Mass. jobless rate falls to 6.8%, lowest in three years

Jan 23, 2012 | 0 comments

January 20, 2012|By Erin Ailworth | Link to article at boston.com   The Massachusetts unemployment rate last month fell below 7 percent for the first time in three years, but employers cut jobs - a sign that the state’s economy may be slowing after a burst of growth early last year. Economists said a slowdown, or rather a leveling off, is to be expected after the state enjoyed some of the most robust job gains in years during the first half of 2011.

Financial Crisis Speaker Series hosted by Professor Kwoka

Jan 23, 2012 | 0 comments

John Kwoka, Finnegan Professor of Economics, invites all members of the university community to attend special sessions of his class on “Bubbles, Busts, and Bailouts: Market and Regulatory Failures in the Financial Crisis.”

These sessions feature prominent guest speakers, including Vikram Mansharamani, Andrew Sum, Lawrence White, Robert Kuttner, and F.M. Scherer.

Classes are from 2:50 to 4:30 and will take place in Shillman 335. Read More >>

3Qs: A window into the U.S. economy

Jan 11, 2012 | 0 comments

from News@Northeastern

2011 was a tough year for the U.S. economy, with continued high rates of unemployment, surging food and gas prices and concern over struggling European economies in countries such as Greece and Italy. With an eye toward the future, we asked economics professor William Dickens to analyze the U.S. economic outlook in 2012.

What are the biggest obstacles on the road to economic recovery in the U.S.?

There is recovery and then there is real recovery. Economic activity reached its low point in June 2009 and we have been in "recovery" since then. But this recovery hasn't felt much like a recovery because unemployment has remained stubbornly high. Recently unemployment has dropped a bit, and a few hundred thousand jobs have been added, but this hides the fact that job growth has been nowhere near large enough to accommodate our growing population.

RSVP Now for Data Day 2012

Dec 22, 2011 | 0 comments

RSVP Now for Data Day 2012:
Using Data to Drive Community Change
Friday, January 27th, 2012
9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Northeastern University
Register online today: http://dataday2012.eventbrite.com

More data are available today than ever before. In addition, new tools are making it easier to explore trends, craft powerful stories, and spur change. Learn about how to access these sources, apply data to your work, meet colleagues, and more, all for free at Data Day 2012. The goal of Data Day is to help organizations and municipalities expand their capacity to use technology and data in innovative ways to advance their community's goals. This biennial conference is co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the Boston Indicators Project at The Boston Foundation, and the School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs at Northeastern University. It serves as a way to come together with colleagues to see the latest in technology and tools and to highlight the ways in which community groups are already using data to support community change.

Food & American Society: An Urban Perspective

Dec 22, 2011 | 0 comments

The Open Classroom Series topic for Spring Semester 2012 will be "Food & American Society: An Urban Perspective: What we eat, why, where it comes from, and how it all matters, everyday." Each semester we select one graduate-level seminar and open it up to the public each semester. Each week we feature prominent guest lecturers with real-world expertise and experience. Every Wednesday evening from January 11th through April 18th. 6:00 to 8:00pm in West Village F, Room 20. For more information or to RSVP, click the read more button.