Economic Insecurity in America

Hot on the heels of our recent event featuring Gary Rivlin and his new book about the rise of the alternative financial sector, Broke, USA, we’re sponsoring another event this week at New America. Thursday, July 22nd from 10AM until 11:30AM: 

Economic Security at Risk: Introducing the First Integrated Measure of Americans’ Economic Insecurity

Jacob Hacker has taken the last few years to lead the development of Economic Security Index (ESI), a groundbreaking new index that provides the first integrated measure of Americans’ economic insecurity.

The ESI measures the percentage of American families who are economically insecure. Specifically, the ESI represents the share of Americans that experience at least a 25 percent decline in their available household income from one year to the next and who lack an adequate financial safety net to replace this lost income. The index is available from 1985 to 2007, with projections for 2008 and 2009—and a new projection for 2010 to be unveiled at the event.

I’ve a great deal of sympathy for the power of these types of tools, having worked on the Child Well-Being Index in a previous life, the focus on data over time and the comprehensive nature of the ESI are very compelling. It promises to be an extremely interesting event, here are the speakers:

David Gray, Director, Workforce and Family Program, New America Foundation

Jacob S. Hacker, Stanley B. Resor Professor of Political Science,Yale University

Janice Nittoli, Associate Vice President & Managing Director, The Rockefeller Foundation

Henry Aaron, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, Brookings Institution

Gary Burtless, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, Brookings Institution

Robert Greenstein, Executive Director, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

E.J. Dionne Jr, Columnist, Washington Post

                        <p><a href="http://newamerica.net/events/2010/economic_security_at_risk" target="_blank">Click here to RSVP</a>.</p>