Kathryn A. Edwards

Kathryn Anne Edwards

@kedseconomist.com

11K followers 790 following 440 posts

Labor economist, opinion writer, policy consultant, podcaster

https://linktr.ee/keds_economist
https://linktr.ee/optimisteconomy

Videos

History 29%

Economics 17%

Posts Replies Media Videos

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Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · Nov 20

Reminder: the $600 billion per year that the IRS doesn't collect in taxes owed is enough to pay for universal school meals (~$50 billion) and the child care /preschool (~$40 billion) and paid family leave (~$20 billion) provisions of build back better...six times over!

www.crfb.org/blogs/irs-es...

IRS Estimates a $606 Billion Tax Gap for 2022 | Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget

2024-10-24-The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently published its p

www.crfb.org

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · 5d

The One Big Beautiful Bill dedicates $170 billion to immigration enforcement, or $12,142 per unauthorized immigrant. By comparison, the federal government spends $8,990 per child each year.

Money talks; Congress is saying kids aren't as important.

www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

That Extra ICE Funding Could Buy a Lot of School Meals

Whatever their views on America’s immigration laws, most Americans probably have no idea how much the US is spending to enforce them. That’s in part because congressional Republicans and President Don...

www.bloomberg.com

Reposted by Kathryn A. Edwards

Steph Yang @thrace.bsky.social · 13d

when my doctor asks me if i'm getting enough sleep drinking enough water getting exercise or taking a multivitamin

Reposted by Kathryn A. Edwards

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 13d

Hours-long wait times. Endless looping music. Useless robot messages.

Millions of seniors and disabled people call Social Security every month. What they experience is often maddening.

Callers to Social Security wait for hours to get help. Hear their ordeals.

Millions of seniors and disabled people call Social Security’s 1-800 number every month. What they experience is often maddening.

www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Robert W. Wallace

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · 14d

Policymakers are stuck in a 1960s view of economic hardship, where poverty (and program eligibility) comes from lack of employment. We have 70 years of evidence: bad jobs with unpredictable schedules and variable earnings are a larger source of hardship.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

The Tyranny of the Low-Quality Job

For decades, a job has been seen as the key to escaping poverty. A major new study turns the question on its head: What if hardship is the result of employment, as opposed to the absence of it?

www.bloomberg.com

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · 20d

I lol’ed!!!!

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · 20d

It's so true.

Reposted by Aaron Sojourner

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · 20d

An incredible day! I officially have a deal for my first book.

I write to inform and empower, to convince Americans that the best economy in US history is ahead of us, and we can build it.

Excited and grateful for this opportunity!!! Thank you MBW, Merry, and Norton!

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · 25d

First had this thought during the LIBOR email release, but I think it would be really instructive if every leak of scandalous text/email exchanges was accompanied by actors reading through them aloud.

www.politico.com/news/2025/10/14/private-chat-among-young-gop-club-members-00592146

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com

Reposted by Aaron Sojourner, Kathryn A. Edwards

Upjohn Institute @upjohninstitute.bsky.social · 25d

Less than half of U.S. workers hold a quality job with predictable schedules, safety & respect, a voice at work, and room for advancement. The Upjohn Institute partnered on a new survey revealing critical gaps in job quality and why they matter.

Read more:
#Jobs #Workforce #econsky #JobQuality

Landmark study shows less than half of U.S. workers have a quality job

www.upjohn.org

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · 27d

Will a continued shutdown mean that we will miss the October jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics? I explain in my latest column: that's a choice the administration is making. And it's a terrible one for the economy and the agency.

www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

The Shutdown’s Consequences for the BLS Are Dire

With the US government shutdown approaching its third week, the costs and consequences are steadily accumulating: for citizens who rely on federal services, for the employees who serve them, and for t...

www.bloomberg.com

Reposted by Aaron Sojourner, Kathryn A. Edwards

EconReporter @econreporter.bsky.social · 28d

What the “birth-death” model can tell us about the economy

A good @marketplace.org report

www.marketplace.org/story/2025/1...

What the “birth-death” model can tell us about the economy

Its underperformance in recent years could be a sign of weakness in the labor market

www.marketplace.org

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · 28d

Last week I went back on Prof G Markets. It was a really fun conversation, covering everything from BLS data collection, the economic prospects of boys and men, immigration spending to trad wives and labor law. Listen wherever, or watch here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSnO...

How Policy is Failing the American Workforce — ft. Kathryn Anne Edwards | Prof G Markets

YouTube video by The Prof G Pod – Scott Galloway

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Kathryn A. Edwards

Kunai’s Mom @beccagsdipo.bsky.social · Oct 11

I ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ @kedseconomist.com ! I really enjoyed this interview even though I’m not a huge fan of Prof G (I just skip the first 10 min) but great questions were asked and Kathryn explains it all so perfectly!
P.s. Optimist Economy podcast is 🤌!

youtu.be/qSnOSSP8lOE?...

How Policy is Failing the American Workforce — ft. Kathryn Anne Edwards | Prof G Markets

YouTube video by The Prof G Pod – Scott Galloway

youtu.be

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · Oct 10

It is! We just don't have fully produced videos yet. Just getting started and don't have the funds.
www.youtube.com/@optimist_ec...

Optimist Economy

At Optimist Economy, we believe the U.S. economy can be better, and we talk about how to get there, one problem and solution at a time. A weekly podcast featuring economist Kathryn Anne Edwards, a.k.a...

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Kathryn A. Edwards

Gabe339Esq @gabe339.bsky.social · Oct 10

Fantastic @profgalloway.com Markets podcast today with @kedseconomist.com doing an excellent job highlighting the exploitation of undocumented workers by employers and the erosion of labor law enforcement. So refreshing to hear this language in a markets podcast.

Reposted by Kathryn A. Edwards

Al @dash-notheactualworddash.com · Oct 9

I feel like there’s a conflict of interest talking up this episode of @kedseconomist.com’s podcast since they answered my question right off the bat but it’s a really good podcast that harkens back to the heyday of NPR podcasts. UBI! Minimum wage! Hardly any f-bombs!

rss.com/podcasts/opt...

Optimist Q&A: Evidence for UBI, What to Do About Billionaires, and Where Will the U.S. Economy Be After Trump? | Podcast Episode on RSS.com

In the final Q&A of the season, economist Kathryn Edwards answers listener questions on recent universal basic income experiments, legislative budgeting tricks, and the value of more aggressive IR...

rss.com

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · Oct 7

Ever had a question for an economist? Send them to the Optimists! Our latest episode is based on listener-submitted questions about the economy: billionaires, Social Security tax rates, child care, the minimum wage, cash welfare, innovation, and more.

It's a fun ride!

rss.com/podcasts/opt...

Optimist Q&A: Evidence for UBI, What to Do About Billionaires, and Where Will the U.S. Economy Be After Trump? | Podcast Episode on RSS.com

In the final Q&A of the season, economist Kathryn Edwards answers listener questions on recent universal basic income experiments, legislative budgeting tricks, and the value of more aggressive IR...

rss.com

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · Oct 3

I went on Here and Now to talk about the gender pay gap and news that it has widened over the past two years. We went on to talk about family friendly work policy, the focus on boys and men, and why I remain steadfastly optimistic.

www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2...

Gender pay gap grows as wages of women backslide

Women's' wages aren't keeping pace with what men earn on average, and at the same time, women are increasingly leaving the workforce.

www.wbur.org

Reposted by Kathryn A. Edwards

Monique Morrissey @moniquemorrissey.bsky.social · Oct 3

Just caught @kedseconomist.com discussing the gender pay gap on @hereandnow.bsky.social! She connects the dots—well worth a listen. www.wbur.org/radio/progra...

Here & Now

NPR and WBUR's live midday news program.

www.wbur.org

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · Oct 1

Also best take on this so far is my friend who said "Wow she puts Veep writers to shame."

Joel Siegel @joelsiegel.bsky.social · Oct 1

Rep. Lisa McClain, on CNN, praising President Trump for deploying the National Guard to Washington:

"My daughter could actually ride the Metro for the first time since she has been in DC."

[Her daughter is 22]

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · Oct 1

Chiming in like many DC parents to say a metro ride through DC delights young children. Our favorite red line day was to go from Brookland to Union Station. The train passes where city construction equipment, school buses, and snowplows are parked, then all the commuter trains heading into town.

Joel Siegel @joelsiegel.bsky.social · Oct 1

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Marc Lynch, Michael A. Clemens , and 6 more Anne Applebaum, Marc Lynch, Michael A. Clemens, Rebecca Tushnet, James Goodwin, Nathan Richardson, Kathryn A. Edwards, Nathan P. Kalmoe, David Darmofal

Joel Siegel @joelsiegel.bsky.social · Oct 1

Reposted by Kathryn A. Edwards

Stephen Nuñez @socio-steve.bsky.social · Oct 1

We got a paper on that! By @kedseconomist.com !

rooseveltinstitute.org/publications...

Whole Child, Whole Day, Whole Year: Assembling a Comprehensive Child Development System for America - Roosevelt Institute

In a new report, economist Kathryn Anne Edwards makes the case for a comprehensive Child Development System supported by federal funds that would provide every child the right to a safe environment wh...

rooseveltinstitute.org

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · Sep 30

Can you get help when you lose your job?

A lot of Americans' introduction to Unemployment Insurance is anything but easy. Laid off, they have to navigate an application process that could result in not that much money.

Optimists, we can do better. Tune in:
rss.com/podcasts/opt...

Can We Fix America's Broken Unemployment Insurance System? | Podcast Episode on RSS.com

Just how broken is Unemployment Insurance? Consider this: During every recession since the 1950s, the federal government has had to step in and prop it up. Of people looking for work, only half qualif...

rss.com

Reposted by Kathryn A. Edwards

Bloomberg Opinion @opinion.bloomberg.com · Sep 25

Why are women working less and earning less, even though the industries they traditionally work in are growing?

@kedseconomist.com explains 🎥

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · Sep 25

More than that, though it’s close to what we annually spend on free lunch for poor students

Reposted by Karen Benjamin Guzzo

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · Sep 24

For all the talk of a boys and men crisis, women have seen two tangible, and troubling, trends:
1. The gender wage gap increased over the last two years
2. The number of women working is falling, while the number of working men is going up.

I discuss in my latest:
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

This Labor Market Isn’t Great for Women, Either

Amid all the talk of an economic crisis among young men in the US, female workers are also facing obstacles.

www.bloomberg.com

Reposted by Kathryn A. Edwards

Economic Speakers Bureau @econspeakers.bsky.social · Sep 24

After-school programs across the country have closed or reduced capacity due to funding cuts and rising costs, leaving millions of children without care and forcing many parents—especially moms—to cut working hours or leave jobs. @kedseconomist.com in TIME: time.com/7318911/afte...

Reposted by Kathryn A. Edwards

Bloomberg Opinion @opinion.bloomberg.com · Sep 24

How come US women are doing worse even as the sectors they tend to work in are doing better?

This Labor Market Isn’t Great for Women, Either

Amid all the talk of an economic crisis among young men in the US, female workers are also facing obstacles.

bloom.bg

Kathryn Anne Edwards @kedseconomist.com · Sep 23

The thing about me and metaphors in describing the economy is that I try so, SO hard to get them to work. This week, the Ghost Recession headlines while the economy as Rocky Balboa gets second billing.

rss.com/podcasts/opt...

The Ghost Recession: A Brief Economic History of Now | Podcast Episode on RSS.com

The economic pain that Americans experienced in 2022-23 was dubbed the “vibesession,” suggesting that negative public sentiment was out of sync with a healthy economy. But what we were truly experienc...

rss.com

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