Russell Sage Foundation Research Projects on the Recession

  • Awarded Scholars:
    • Erling Barth, University of Oslo
    • James Davis, U.S. Census Bureau
    • Richard B. Freeman, Harvard University

    Even though the Great Recession officially ended in June 2009, Americans still face anemic employment prospects that, unlike the economy, show little sign of improvement.

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  • Awarded Scholars:
    • Sarah Burgard, University of Michigan
    • Kristin Seefeldt, Indiana University

    The Great Recession has had a significant and largely negative impact on Americans and their families in a variety of ways. Millions of Americans have experienced the loss of their homes through foreclosure. Significant numbers are behind on rent or mortgage payments, or are “underwater,” paying on homes that are worth less than is owed.

  • Awarded Scholar:
    • Ariel Kalil, National Opinion Research Center

    The Great Recession may have had both subtle and profound effects on the organization and patterns of family life in the United States. Unemployment and the loss of family income or wealth can lead to changes in preferences and priorities for families. Previous research has found these disruptions vary by class, the level of unemployment and the gender of the parent.

  • Awarded Scholars:
    • Heidi Hartmann, Institute for Women's Policy Research
    • Jeffery Hayes, Institute for Women's Policy Research
    • Robert Drago, Institute for Women's Policy Research

    In the early part of the Great Recession, men became unemployed at higher rates than women, which lead to a substantial focus on the impact of the recession on men and terms like "the great mancession." This focus on men's unemployment overshadowed the fact that during the recession women continued to earn less than men and remained more likely to fall into poverty.

  • Awarded Scholars:
    • Bhashkar Mazumder, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
    • Tal Gross, Columbia University
    • Sumit Agarwal, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

    A variety of indicators suggest that households significantly altered their financial behavior in the wake of the Great Recession. Real personal consumption declined more during this recession than in the prior four recessions and has taken longer to recover. Total U.S.

  • Awarded Scholars:
    • Jean Twenge, San Diego State University
    • Patricia Greenfield, University of California, Los Angeles

    We now know many of the immediate and lingering consequences of the Great Recession. Record home foreclosures, underwater mortgages, historic long-term unemployment rates, declining median income, a lagging economy and the threat of a double-dip recession are all painfully familiar.