Six Hundred Atlantic-logo

Six Hundred Atlantic

Business & Economics Podcasts

Six Hundred Atlantic tells the stories of the people of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and their work to shape the historic region they serve. The podcast explores the trends, challenges, and insights uncovered by the Boston Fed’s economists, researchers, and analysts, and it reports on how the Bank is working to strengthen the New England and national economies and make sure economic opportunity is open to all.

Location:

Boston, MA

Description:

Six Hundred Atlantic tells the stories of the people of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and their work to shape the historic region they serve. The podcast explores the trends, challenges, and insights uncovered by the Boston Fed’s economists, researchers, and analysts, and it reports on how the Bank is working to strengthen the New England and national economies and make sure economic opportunity is open to all.

Language:

English


Episodes

Interview: Opioid addiction meds and the labor force with Mary Burke

8/2/2023
Opioid-related deaths spiked more than 60% in two years during the pandemic, and that intensified the focus on treating opioid use disorder. But do some treatments impact employment prospects more than others? In this episode of Six Hundred Atlantic, Boston Fed senior economist Mary Burke discusses certain opioid use disorder medications and how they affect job prospects for patients and reduce the economic burden on society.

Duration:00:12:04

Did a pandemic revive the U.S. entrepreneurial spirit?

6/20/2023
In the season’s final episode, we’re looking at two ongoing pandemic-era trends. One is the unexpected surge in startups. The other is the increasing influence of automation. What do these trends and others tell us about what’s ahead for labor markets?

Duration:00:15:10

Is remote work here to stay?

6/14/2023
Some economists say the rise of remote work may be the pandemic era’s most lasting trend. And they say it comes with big benefits, like better work-life balance. But a drop in commuters could hurt cities. And others predict a remote work pullback is coming soon.

Duration:00:14:50

Did the Great Resignation actually happen?

6/6/2023
The headlines during the pandemic spoke of a Great Resignation. And millions of “missing jobs.” And a mass and permanent exodus of women from the workforce. But during the pandemic, things weren’t always what they first appeared to be.

Duration:00:13:52

How did labor markets rebound from epic COVID-19 collapse?

5/31/2023
Some thought the 20 million jobs lost in the first month of the COVID-19 lockdowns was the start of a brutal downturn. But labor markets somehow quickly bounced back. In this overview, we examine fears that weren’t realized and changes that look lasting.

Duration:00:14:40

Interview: Housing and rent prices with Paul Willen

4/18/2023
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston senior economist and policy advisor Paul S. Willen, co-author of the 2023 working paper “House Prices and Rents in the 21st Century,” discusses key ways that the housing booms of the 2000s and 2020s differ.

Duration:00:12:05

Interview: Climate Change and Municipal Spending with Bo Zhao

3/9/2023
Boston Fed economist Bo Zhao discusses the potential financial impacts of climate change in New England, including projections from his report, “The Effects of Weather on Massachusetts Municipal Expenditures: Implications of Climate Change for Local Governments in New England.”

Duration:00:13:18

Interview: The growing ransomware threat with Anjan Bagchee

1/24/2023
The Boston Fed’s chief of information security, Anjan Bagchee, is constantly monitoring the growing ransomware threat. Bagchee discusses the increasing sophistication of the attacks, their economic implications, and how organizations can protect themselves.

Duration:00:13:30

Inside a child-care void: What about parents working “nontraditional” hours?

11/15/2022
The nation’s child-care sector is in crisis because affordable, high-quality care is so hard to find. But this care is even more scarce for those who don’t work 9-to-5. In a bonus episode, we hear from four moms and get insight from Boston Fed expert Sarah Savage.

Duration:00:18:26

Racially sorted: Segregated by choice?

10/20/2022
The country’s sharp geographic segregation is fueling racial disparities, and our racist past has helped create divides. But researchers say a voluntary phenomenon called “racial sorting” may be playing an underappreciated role.

Duration:00:15:49

Crime thrives, disparities grow where there is “concentrated disadvantage”

10/20/2022
Researchers say even in high-crime areas, it’s usually just a few streets segments causing the problems. And they say that focusing on lowering crime in these areas of “concentrated disadvantage” can have a major impact on closing racial disparities.

Duration:00:12:59

A conversation about racism, narratives, and backlash

10/20/2022
There’s agreement on the need to close racial disparities, but it’s fair to ask if solutions are even possible in today’s polarized environment. So we did. Georgetown’s Harry Holzer and Brown’s Glenn Loury discuss racism, narratives, and backlash.

Duration:00:18:03

Complex, controversial, relentless: The nation’s damaging racial wealth gaps

10/20/2022
Racial disparities in wealth are jarringly sharp. Asians and whites are the nation’s highest-wealth groups, and they are trailed significantly by Hispanics and Blacks. Closing wealth gaps is a priority, but the gaps are both complex and controversial.

Duration:00:16:38

What is “a sharecropper’s education?” And when will it finally be gone?

10/20/2022
Disparities in academic achievement across racial groups exist at all levels, and they aren’t closing. No one really knows how to narrow the gaps, which defy easy diagnosis. But experts say that even if there aren’t “silver bullets,” there is hope.

Duration:00:14:42

How much time do you want for your “progress?”

10/20/2022
The nation’s enduring racial disparities are highly politicized and emotional. Some say racism entirely explains the gaps. Others say that’s too narrow – numerous factors are at play. In this overview, we discuss what’s at stake as these gaps persist.

Duration:00:14:27

Six Hundred Atlantic Season 3 Trailer

10/17/2022
Racial disparities in the U.S. have persisted for decades – in wealth, in education, in crime, in neighborhoods. Their impacts are profound, their causes hotly debated. This season, we seek insight in research, data, and a mix of perspectives.

Duration:00:01:56

60 Days In With President Susan M. Collins

9/6/2022
Susan M. Collins talks about taking over as president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston during a busy time for the Bank and an important and challenging time for the Federal Reserve.

Duration:00:12:59

Interview: Racial Wealth Gap Study With Prabal Chakrabarti

6/22/2022
The Boston Fed’s Prabal Chakrabarti is helping direct a new 3-year research effort into racial wealth disparities in Massachusetts. He discusses the project’s ambitious aims and how it expands on the Bank’s impactful “The Color of Wealth” report.

Duration:00:11:28

Interview: Inflation and consumer inattention with Jenny Tang

5/24/2022
The focus across the Federal Reserve System is curbing inflation, which just hit a 40-year high. Evidence of inflation’s effects on consumers is everywhere – in the media, in stores, at gas stations, and beyond. That’s made Americans increasingly aware of rising inflation, and according to a new study published by the Boston Fed, that can make it more difficult to rein it in. Boston Fed Senior economist Jenny Tang is co-author of the paper called “Inflation Levels and (In)attention,” which looks at the ways inflation can be affected by how much attention people pay to it. In the latest episode of Six Hundred Atlantic, Tang speaks about how different levels of attention can influence everything from what kind of mortgage a person chooses to whether they think it’s a good time to go appliance shopping.

Duration:00:13:54

A Conversation About Child Care in Crisis

10/29/2021
Season 2 of Six Hundred Atlantic looked at a broken child care sector, including hopes the pandemic would trigger reform by highlighting child care’s problems and importance. In a bonus episode, experts Beth Mattingly and Tom Weber discuss the evolving crisis.

Duration:00:23:52