Financial markets these days are on a roller coaster ride amid a cascade of conflicting financial and economic news. For average Americans, though, Main Street is closer to home than Wall Street, which is why recent domestic employment numbers and savings and debt figures mean more to most Americans than the price of stocks in China. American families today want to enjoy middle class security. To do so, they need be able to reach a comfortable economic situation and maintain it over time. However, since 2001 a slow-moving labor market, rapid increases in the prices of necessary items such as housing, health care, and education, and accelerating debt burdens have caused a sharp erosion in middle-class economic security.
These shifting economic tides have affected many families, but minorities more so than whites, and low- and middle-income families more so than higher-income ones. Join the Center for American Progress and a distinguished group of panelists for a discussion about the difficulties confronting so many American families due to deteriorating economic opportunities over the past six years. The panelists will also discuss what types of policies will be needed to tighten the link between economic growth and income growth, improve the mortgage and credit markets, and create better wealth-building opportunities for the majority of American families.
Featured Panelists:
Meizhu Lui, Executive Director, United for a Fair Economy
Jeff Madrick, Editor of Challenge Magazine and Director of Policy Research, Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis, The New School
Eric Rodriguez, Deputy Vice President, Office of Research, Advocacy and Legislation, National Council of La Raza
Christian Weller, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Moderated by:
John Halpin, Senior Fellow and Executive Speechwriter, Center for American Progress