Unemployment is really painful

Binyamin Appelbaum at the New York Times compiled a substantial amount of research on the effects of unemployment. Unemployed persons tend to make far less once they regain employment, suffer negative health effects, lose their skills, and find it increasingly difficult to regain employment at all. I surveyed a variety of similar studies not too… Continue reading Unemployment is really painful

On the politics of student debt

The New York Federal Reserve Bank released an impressive amount of research earlier this month on the present state of student debt. Total student debt levels are around $870 billion. Average student debt stands at $23,300, but the median debt — a more telling figure — stands at $12,800. At the same time, those with… Continue reading On the politics of student debt

On Wendy Kopp, poverty pimp

Imagine watching a man try unsuccessfully to unlock a door for 20 minutes. He keeps putting the same key into the keyhole and turning, but to no avail. Then imagine standing behind him are a number of people who keep telling him that his key obviously does not work, and that he should try another… Continue reading On Wendy Kopp, poverty pimp