BERKELEY
CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS 
BERKELEY CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS 
BERKELEY CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS 
BERKELEY CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS 
BERKELEY CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS 
BERKELEY CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS 
BERKELEY CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS 
BERKELEY CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS BERKELEY 
CONVERSATIONS 
PER
>> WELCOME TO THE BERKELEY HAAS 
SPEAKER SERIES NEW THINKING IN A
PANDEMIC, BUSINESS, ECONOMICS, 
AND INCLUSION.
THIS IS AN ONGOING SERIES ON You
Tube THAT'S HOSTED BY MYSELF AS 
WELL AS BY LAURA TYSON WHO IS 
OUR FORMER DEAN AND THE CO-CHAIR
OF 
GOVERNOR NEWSOM'S COUNCIL ON 
ECONOMIC ADVISERS.
ALSO HOSTING THIS SERIES IS DON 
MOORE AND PIERRE.
YOU CAN CHECK OUT LAURA'S INTER
VIEW WITH JESSE ROTHSTEIN WHICH 
IS NOW 
ON YouTube FROM TWO WEEKS AGO 
AND BEFORE THAT, YOU CAN ALSO 
CHECK 
OUT DON MOORE'S INTERVIEWS AND 
MYSELF INTERVIEWING OTHER 
AUTHORS AND 
RESEARCHERS.
MY NAME IS ANN HARRISON.
I'M THE DEAN OF THE HAAS SCHOOL 
OF BUSINESS.
IN ADDITION TO BEING DEAN, I'M 
ALSO AN ACADEMIC RESEARCHER.
I'M AN ECONOMIST.
I STUDY GLOBALIZATION, IN
EQUALITY, FOREIGN INVESTMENT, 
AND I ALSO 
STUDY THE ENVIRONMENT.
I'M SO THRILLED TODAY TO BE 
JOINED BY HILARY HOYNES WHO IS A
PROFESSOR 
OF PUBLIC POLICY IN THE GOLDMAN 
SCHOOL AND SHE'S ALSO A 
PROFESSOR IN 
OUR ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT HERE AT
UC BERKELEY.
SHE IS THE HAAS DISTINGUISHED 
CHAIR IN ECONOMIC DISPARITYIES.
SHE IS ALSO THE CO-DIRECTOR OF 
THE BERKELEY OPPORTUNITIES LAB.
HILLARY IS GOING TO BEGIN TODAY 
BY SHARING HER RECENT RESEARCH 
EXAMINE
EXAMINING HOW DISADVANTAGED 
AMERICANS ARE FARING IN THE 
PANDEMIC AND 
DURING THIS CRISIS.
WE'LL ALSO DISCUSS OPPORTUNITIES
FOR POLICY IMPROVEMENTS AND HOW 
WE 
CAN WORK TOWARDS A MORE 
INCLUSIVE RECOVERY.
WELCOME, HILLARY.
>> THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
IT'S DELIGHTFUL TO BE WITH YOU 
TODAY.
SO I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT 
SOME WORK THAT I'VE BEEN DOING 
OVER THE 
SUMMER LOOKING AT THE COVID 
CRISIS AND IN PARTICULAR HOW THE
SOCIAL 
SAFETY NET AND THE RELIEF 
PACKAGE IS AFFECTING THE 
POPULATION WITH A 
FOCUS ON THE DISADVANTAGED 
POPULATION.
AND THAT WORK WAS PREPARED FOR A
BROOKINGS CONFERENCE BACK IN 
JUNE 
THAT WAS A SPECIAL CONFERENCE.
ALL OF THE PRESENTERS AND 
RESEARCHERS IN THE CONFERENCE 
WERE FOCUSING 
ON CORE ISSUES AROUND COVID-19.
AND THE WORK WAS JOINT WITH MY 
CO-AUTHORS AT UC DAVIS AND 
NORTHWESTERN 
UNIVERSITY.
SO ONE IMPORTANT CAVEAT THAT 
REALLY HAS TO DO WITH THE DATA 
LIMITATION
LIMITATIONS AT THIS TIME IS I 
WANT TO FOCUS ON HOW THE SOCIAL 
SAFETY 
NET IN THE RELIEF BILLS HAVE 
RESPONDED TO THE COVID-19 CRISIS
.
WHAT WERE THE BIG ELEMENTS?
WHERE ARE THE HOLES IN THAT 
RESPONSE?
AND WHO IS BEING LEFT BEHIND?
WHAT DO WE SEE GOING ON IN THE 
REAL ECONOMY FOR HOUSEHOLDS IN 
THE 
UNITED STATES?
AND THE IMPORTANT KIND OF CAVEAT
AND DISCLAIMER HERE IS THAT THE 
MAJOR 
PROVISION OF THE CARES ACT WHICH
I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT AS
ONE 
OF THE IMPORTANT FEATURES IS THE
$600 SUPPLEMENT TO UNEMPLOYMENT 
INSURANCE WEEKLY BENEFITS.
AND THAT SUPPLEMENT HAS EXPIRED 
AS OF JULY 31ST.
AND WITHOUT ADDITIONAL PROVISION
S IN CONGRESS, UNEMPLOYMENT 
BENEFITS 
HAVE NOW GONE BACK TO THEIR 
REGULAR STATE LEVELS AND WE AS 
YET DON'T 
HAVE DATA.
NEXT WEEK, WE'LL HAVE NEW 
NUMBERS THAT WILL GIVE US SOME 
INSIGHTS AS 
TO HOW THE MOST VULNERABLE 
AMERICANS HAVE ADJUSTED TO THIS 
DECLINE IN 
BENEFITS, SO PERHAPS WE CAN TALK
ABOUT THAT IN THE Q&A.
SO JUST TO START OUT, AS ANN 
MENTIONED, TWO WEEKS AGO, LAURA 
TYSON HAD 
AN EXCELLENT CONVERSATION WITH 
MY COLLEAGUE, JESSE ROTHSTEIN, 
VERY 
MUCH FOCUSED ON THE LABOR MARKET
IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS, 
SO 
I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND TIME 
TALKING ABOUT THAT.
BUT JUST TO GET A SENSE OF HOW 
SEVERE AND SHARP THIS CHANGE IN 
THE 
LABOR MARKET IN THE UNITED 
STATES IS, WE CAN SEE THIS VERY 
LONG-TIME 
SERIES FOR THE MONTHLY UN
EMPLOYMENT RATE IN THE UNITED 
STATES AND THE 
SIGNIFICANT SPIKE AT THE VERY 
END OF THIS PERIOD IN THE 
COVID-19 
CRISIS.
AS MANY HAVE SHOWN, THE LOSS OF 
JOBS HAS NOT BEEN EQUAL ACROSS 
THE 
POPULATION.
ANN AND I, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE 
CONTINUING TO DO OUR WORK AS WE 
NORMALLY 
DO, JUST FROM HOME, WITH THE 
SAME PAY AND ALL OF THE 
PRIVILEGES.
WE SEE QUITE CONSISTENTLY THAT 
THE JOB LOSSES HAVE BEEN 
CONCENTRATEED 
MORE HEAVYILY AMONG LOW-WAGE 
OCCUPATIONS AND ALSO MORE AMONG 
WOMEN THAN 
MEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR HAVE 
BEEN IMPACTED MORE DRAMATICALLY 
THAN 
OTHER GROUPS.
SO WITH THAT SORT OF VERY QUICK 
BACKGROUND ABOUT THE UN
EMPLOYMENT 
CONTEXT, I WANT TO FOCUS ON WHAT
THE POLICY RESPONSE TO THE 
COVID-19 
CRISIS HAS BEEN AND WITH A 
PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THE POLICY
IES THAT TRANS
TRANSLATE TO DIRECT PAYMENTS TO 
FAMILIES.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR 
COMPONENTS THAT ARE CENTRAL IN 
THE POLICY 
RESPONSE AND THESE WERE INCLUDED
IN TWO ACTS THAT WERE PASSED BY 
CONGRESS AND SIGNED BY THE 
PRESIDENT, BOTH IN MARCH OF 2020
.
ONE CALLED "THE FAMILIES FIRST 
CORONAVIRUS ACT" AND THE OTHER 
CALLED 
THE CARES ACT.
AND HERE ARE THE FOUR SETS OF 
PROVISIONS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN
THOSE 
IMPORTANT POLICYIES.
THE FIRST IS THE EXPANSION TO 
OUR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE 
SYSTEM WHICH 
PROVIDES SOME WAGE REPLACEMENT 
FOR THOSE WHO LOSE A JOB THROUGH
NO 
FAULT OF THEIR OWN.
AND THE $600 TOP-UP TO THE 
REGULAR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT ON 
A WEEKLY 
BASIS WAS A TREMENDOUSLY 
IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE CARES
ACT THAT WAS 
PASSED IN THE MIDDLE OF MARCH.
IN ADDITION, THERE WERE SOME 
IMPORTANT EXPANSIONS TO THE UN
EMPLOYMENT 
INSURANCE SYSTEM BEYOND THIS 
INCREASE IN BENEFITS BOTH EXPAND
ING UN
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE TO SELF-
EMPLOYED GIG ECONOMY WORKERS WHO
HAD 
NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN ELIGIBLE FOR
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.
ALSO THERE WAS A RELAXATION OF 
SOME OF THE WORK REQUIREMENTS IN
TERMS 
OF HOW MANY WEEKS HAD YOU BEEN 
WITH THE EMPLOYER, HOW MUCH EARN
INGS 
DID YOU HAVE PER MONTH, PER 
QUARTER, THAT WERE ALSO LOOSENED
IN ORDER 
TO PROVIDE FOR THIS ELIGIBILITY 
FOR UNEMPLOYMENT.
THE SECOND COMPONENT IS THE 
EMERGENCY IMPACT PAYMENTS, 
SOMETIMES 
CALLED THE STIMULUS.
THIS CAME OUT OF THE TREASURY 
AND WAS A $1,200 ONE-TIME-ONLY 
PAYMENT 
PER ADULT AND $500 PER CHILD 
THAT WAS PHASED OUT AT EARNINGS 
LEVELS OF 
ABOUT STARTING ABOUT $75,000 FOR
SINGLE FILERS AND $150,000 A 
YEAR FOR 
MARRIED COUPLE FILING UNITS.
AS I'M GOING TO COME BACK TO 
LATER, THIS WAS NOT A UNIVERSAL 
PAYMENT 
SCHEME.
THERE WERE SOME GROUPS THAT WERE
LEFT OUT OF THIS EMERGENCY 
IMPACT 
PAYMENT, AND I'LL COME BACK TO 
THAT LATER.
THERE WAS ALSO AN EXPANSION TO A
CRITICAL ELEMENT OF OUR SOCIAL 
SAFETY 
NET IN THE UNITED STATES CALLED
SNAP OR CAL FRESH, AND THIS IS A
PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS LOW-INCOME 
AMERICANS TO HAVE ON A DEBIT 
CARD IN AN 
UNCONSTRAINED WAY AND THE POLICY
RESPONSE HERE WAS TO RAISE THE 
SNAP 
BENEFIT FOR ALL RECIPIENTS IN 
THE UNITED STATES AND WHO WERE 
NOT 
ALREADY RECEIVEING THE MAXIMUM 
BENEFIT PAYMENT FOR THEIR FAMILY
SIZE, 
WORTH ABOUT $160 PER MONTH.
FINALLY, A VERY UNUSUAL FEATURE 
OF THIS DRAMATIC RECESSION WAS, 
OF 
COURSE, US ALL HAVING TO 
SHELTER-IN-PLACE WHICH INCLUDED 
THE CLOSING 
OF SCHOOLS BACK IN MARCH.
ABOUT 30 MILLION CHILDREN A DAY 
RECEIVE MEALS AT SCHOOL THROUGH 
FREE 
AND REDUCEED PRICE LUNCH 
PROGRAMS AND INCREASINGLY MANY 
ALSO RECEIVE 
BREAKFAST AT SCHOOL.
SO A VERY UNUSUAL AND CRITICAL 
ELEMENT OF THIS PANDEMIC AND 
ECONOMIC 
CRISIS IS THE LOSS OF WORK AND 
EARNINGS AT THE SAME TIME THAT 
FAMILIES 
ALSO EXPERIENCEED A LOSS OF 
ACCESS TO FOOD FOR THEIR 
CHILDREN WHO WERE 
SCHOOL AGED.
SO THE USDA INCLUDED A KIND OF 
CONVERSION PROGRAM THAT ALLOWED 
HOUSEHOLDS TO GET THE CASH 
EQUIVALENT VALUE OF WHAT THE 
STATE WOULD BE 
PAID FOR THOSE SCHOOL LUNCHES 
WHICH WORK OUT TO BE ABOUT $120 
PER 
MONTH PER CHILD THAT WOULD BE 
DISTRIBUTEED VIA DEBIT CARDS TO 
FAMILIES, 
AND THIS IS KNOWN AS THE 
PANDEMIC EBT PROGRAM.
SO THOSE ARE THE FOUR MAIN PRO
VISIONS THAT -- THERE ARE MANY 
OTHER 
THINGS SUCH AS THE SMALL 
BUSINESS PPP PROGRAM AND SO ON, 
BUT I'M 
FOCUSING ON THE SORT OF DIRECT 
PAYMENTS TO HOUSEHOLDS.
SO THIS GRAPH HERE GIVES YOU AN 
IDEA OF HOW MUCH WE SPENT ON 
THESE 
FOUR PROGRAMS.
AND THIS COMES FROM WEEKLY OR 
DAILY TREASURY STATEMENTS THAT 
COME OUT 
OF THE U.S. TREASURY, AND I'VE 
AND I SHOW THE TOTAL SPENDING BY
WEEK ACROSS 
THESE FOUR PROGRAMS.
THE WAY THE DATA IS RELEASEED, 
THE US USDA PROGRAMS ARE ALL IN 
ONE BUCKET, 
SO THE
WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS THAT THE UN
EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE EXPANSIONS,
WHICH ARE THE ORANGE PARTS OF 
THE BAR, ARE VERY LARGE.
THE ECONOMIC IMPACT PAYMENTS 
ALSO VERY LARGE, AND I'LL COME 
BACK TO 
THIS ELEMENT OF THE CHART THAT 
SHOWS A VERY LARGE INCREASE IN 
THESE 
ECONOMIC IMPACT PAYMENTS.
THAT'S WHEN TREASURY PUSHED OUT 
A DIRECT DEPOSIT IN ONE WEEK TO 
ALL 
PREVIOUS FILERS WHO HAD GIVEN 
THEIR BANKING INFORMATION TO 
TREASURY.
YOU CAN BARELY SEE THE PURPLE 
PART OF THE BAR.
YOU CAN START TO JUST SHOW UP IN
THE LATER PART OF THE PERIOD.
THAT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF HOW 
SMALL THE SNAP EXPANSIONS AND PE
DT'S ARE 
RELATIVE TO THESE OTHER PARTS OF
THE RELIEF PACKAGE.
SO OVERALL, WE'VE SPENT ABOUT 
600 BILLION ON THESE FOUR 
PROGRAMS 
THROUGH THE END OF JULY.
ALMOST TWO THIRDS OF THAT IS IN 
THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.
A THIRD IN THESE RELIEF PAYMENTS
.
AND A SMALL AMOUNT ON THE SNAP.
SO THIS IS SORT OF THE GOOD-NEWS
PART OF THE TALK.
CONGRESS ACTED FAIRLY QUICKLY.
THE CARES ACT WAS PASSED THERE 
IN THE SECOND HALF OF MARCH.
A LOT OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT
.
WE'VE GOT 30 MILLION CONTINUING 
CLAIMS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT OR MORE.
THAT'S CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT.
WE ALSO SAW A VERY QUICK AND 
DRAMATIC RESPONSE OF THE SNAP 
PROGRAM 
PROVIDEING THESE FOOD RESOURCES 
TO FACILITATE HOUSEHOLDS BEING 
ABLE TO 
PURCHASE FOOD.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WHAT I'VE PUT 
TOGETHER IN THIS CHART IS SINCE 
FEBRUARY, WHICH WAS THE PEAK OF 
THE BUSINESS CYCLE PRIOR TO THE 
COVID-19 CRISIS, I PLOTTED OUT 
HOW MUCH OUR SPENDING ON SNAP IN
THE 
NATION AS A WHOLE HAS GONE UP 
RELATIVE TO FEBRUARY.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT'S GONE
UP BY -- YOU KNOW, THE SPENDING 
HAS 
MORE THAN DOUBLED.
AND JUST TO PUT THIS IN 
PERSPECTIVE, I'VE PUT ON THE 
SAME CHART THE 
SPENDING INCREASE OF SNAP TO THE
GREAT RECESSION BACK IN 2008, 
'09 '09, 10
10.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT
SNAP IS VERY WELL SUITED TO 
RESPOND 
TO TIMES OF NEED.
IT'S AN UNCAPPED ENTITLEMENT 
WHICH MEANS THAT ELIGIBLE 
HOUSEHOLDS WILL 
BE ABLE TO RECEIVE BENEFITS 
WITHOUT ANY SORT OF FUNDING 
LIMIT.
AND IN THE CONTEXT OF TALKING 
ABOUT RECESSIONARY RESPONSES, 
THIS IS A 
VERY GOOD AUTOMATIC STABILIZER, 
BECAUSE IT'S PUTTING PURCHASEING
POWER 
IN THE POCKETS OF HOUSEHOLDS 
QUICKLY AND WITH LITTLE 
ADMINISTRATIVE 
HASSLES.
SO THAT'S SORT OF THE GOOD NEWS 
PART OF THE TALK.
DESPITE ALL OF THE SPENDING, 
THERE'S THE REAL-TIME DATA THAT 
SHOWS 
THAT MANY HOUSEHOLDS ARE 
ACTUALLY IN QUITE A BIT OF 
ECONOMIC DISTRESS.
SO THERE WAS JUST A NEWS STORY 
THAT I JUST GOT PUSHED OUT TO MY
PHONE 
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES EARLIER 
THIS MORNING TALKING ABOUT THE 
HUNGER 
CRISIS AND FOOD INSECURITY 
CRISIS IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO FOOD INSECURITY IS SOMETHING 
THAT WE MEASURE ON AN ANNUAL 
BASIS IN 
THE UNITED STATES.
THE USDA HAS A BATTERY OF TEN 
QUESTIONS THAT ASKS HOUSEHOLDS 
THINGS 
SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, DOES YOUR 
INCOME SOMETIMES NOT GO FAR 
ENOUGH TO 
PURCHASE YOUR FOOD?
SOME MORE SEVERE QUESTIONS LIKE,
DO YOU EVER HAVE TO SKIP A MEAL 
BECAUSE OF LACK OF RESOURCES?
DO YOU EVER GO A WHOLE DAY 
WITHOUT EATING?
AND SO ON.
THOSE HISTORICAL VALUES OF FOOD 
INSECURITY IN THE UNITED STATES 
ARE 
PLOTTED IN THE SOLID LINES USING
DATA FROM THE NATIONAL HEALTH 
INTER
INTERVIEW SURVEY THROUGH 2018.
THAT'S OUR MOST RECENT 
HISTORICAL DATA ON FOOD IN
SECURITY IN THE 
UNITED STATES.
OVER THE COVID CRISIS PERIOD, 
THERE ARE TWO NEW SURVEYS THAT 
ARE IN 
THE FIELD PROVIDEING REAL-TIME 
DATA.
THE COVID IMPACT SURVEY WAS 
AVAILABLE FIRST, AND THEN FOLLOW
ED BY THE 
CENSUS PULSE SURVEY.
IN BOTH OF THOSE SURVEYS, THEY 
ASKED ABOUT FOOD INSECURITY AND 
I PUT 
HERE ON THE SLIDE THE EXACT 
QUESTION THAT WAS INCLUDE IN THE
SURVEY.
OVER THE PAST 30 DAYS, IT WAS 
SOMETIMES OR OFTEN THE CASE THAT
MY FOOD 
JUST DIDN'T LAST AND DIDN'T HAVE
ENOUGH MONEY TO GET MORE.
AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS THAT 
FOOD INSECURITY HAS JUST 
ABSOLUTELY 
SPIKED IN THE UNITED STATES IN A
WAY THAT WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE
.
AND IF YOU WERE TO LOOK AT THIS 
DATA FURTHER BACK THAN 2011 TO 
INCLUDE 
THE GREAT RECESSION PERIOD, YOU 
WOULD SEE A MODEST INCREASE IN 
FOOD IN
INSECURITY OF A COUPLE OF 
PERCENTAGE POINTS.
NOTHING LIKE THE INCREASE THAT 
WE SEE TODAY.
HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN TEND TO
HAVE ELEVATED RATES OF FOOD IN
INSECURITY COMPARED TO OTHER 
GROUPS.
THEY ALSO HAVE HIGHER RATES OF 
POVERTY OVERALL.
AND QUITE DRAMATICALLY, YOU SEE 
THE INCREASE IN FOOD INSECURITY 
MUCH 
MORE SIGNIFICANTLY FOR HOUSEHOLD
S WITH CHILDREN, AN ALMOST 
TRIPLING OF 
THE FOOD INSECURITY RATE IN THE 
UNITED STATES.
AND THE FOOD INSECURITY RATE IS 
RELATEED TO THE UNEMPLOYMENT 
RATE IN 
THE DATA AND ABOUT HALF OF THIS 
INCREASE YOU COULD SORT OF 
EXPLAIN BY 
PREDICTED HISTORICAL 
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOOD IN
SECURITY AND UN
UNEMPLOYMENT.
OF COURSE, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
WE SEE TODAY IS VERY LARGE 
COMPARED 
TO THE HISTORICAL COMPARISONS.
IN ADDITION TO THESE VERY 
ELEVATED RATES OF FOOD IN
SECURITY, I'M SURE 
MANY OF THE VIEWERS OF THIS TALK
HAVE SEEN THE REPORTING ON THE 
DRAMATIC AMOUNT OF DEMAND FOR 
FOOD PANTRIES IN THE UNITED 
STATES WITH 
PARKING LOTS AND ROADS FULL OF 
CARS ONE AFTER THE OTHER WAITING
IN 
LINE FOR FOOD PANTRIES.
WE HAVE DATA ON THAT FROM 
SEVERAL DIFFERENT SOURCES THAT 
ARE CONFIRM
CONFIRMING THIS INCREASEED NEED 
THAT WE SEE IN THE FOOD IN
SECURITY.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE THE LINES HERE
ARE TRACKING HISTORICAL DATA ON 
FOOD 
PANTRY USE WHICH IS ASKED ONCE A
YEAR IN THE CPS DATA AND IT ASKS
ABOUT DID YOU USE A FOOD BANK 
LAST MONTH?
IN THE COVID IMPACT SURVEY, WE 
HAVE DATA ON ASKING PEOPLE IF 
THEY USED 
A FOOD BANK LAST WEEK.
AND WE SEE GREATLY ELEVATED 
RATES OF USE OF FOOD PANTRIES, 
WHICH IS 
ALSO CONFIRMED BY, FOR EXAMPLE, 
FEEDING AMERICA, WHICH IS A SORT
OF 
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FOOD 
BANKS
QUESTIONING THEIR MEMBER GROUPS 
AND 
HAVE CONSISTENTLY FOUND INCREASE
S IN DEMAND AT FOOD PANTRIES OF 
70% OR 
MORE.
SO WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY.
IT WAS A VERY SIGNIFICANT RELIEF
PACKAGE.
THE QUESTION IS WHY DO WE SEE SO
MUCH DISTRESS EVEN WITH THIS 
DRAMATIC 
POLICY CHANGE?
AND SO WE DUG INTO THIS AND WE 
CONCLUDE THAT THERE ARE THREE 
REASONS 
WHY WE SEE SO MUCH NEED DESPITE 
THE SPENDING.
THE FIRST HAS TO DO WITH TIMING.
PAYMENTS WERE DELAYED IN MANY OF
THE PROGRAMS, AND I'LL SHOW YOU 
SOME 
DATA ON THAT.
SECOND, OUTSIDE OF THE UN
EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE INCREASE, 
THAT $600 PER 
WEEK, THE BENEFIT INCREASES ARE 
FAIRLY MODEST, SUCH AS YOU SAW 
THOSE 
DAILY TREASURY REPORTS.
AND THEN THIRD, THE POLICYIES 
WERE INCOMPLETE.
THERE ARE HOLES IN ELIGIBILITY.
THERE ARE CONSISTENT DISPARITY
IES IN PARTICIPATION IN THESE 
PROGRAMS.
AND WITH SOME DATA THAT WE HAVE 
AVAILABLE FOR THE CRISIS PERIOD,
WE'RE 
SEEING THOSE SAME DISPARITYIES 
REFLECTED IN THE REAL-TIME DATA.
SO LET ME JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE
BIT OF A SENSE OF THE DATA 
BEHIND 
THESE STATEMENTS.
SO WITH RESPECT TO THE TIMEING 
OF PAYMENTS, THERE ARE MANY 
THINGS THAT 
WE SEE GOING ON.
SOME OF IT HAS TO DO WITH NEW 
PROGRAMS, THE PANDEMIC EBT 
PROGRAM WAS A 
NEW PROGRAM.
IT TAKES TIME TO GET THOSE 
THINGS ROLLED OUT.
THE EXPANSION OF UNEMPLOYMENT TO
INCLUDE GIG ECONOMY AND SELF-
EMPLOYED 
WORKERS CREATES AN 
ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE THAT 
STATES HAVEN'T HAD TO 
GRAPPLE WITH BEFORE.
THAT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME.
WE SEE THAT REFLECTED IN THE 
DATA.
IN ADDITION, THIS DRAMATIC 
RECESSION LED TO REAL STRESSES 
ON STATE 
SYSTEMS.
SOME STATES SEEMED TO DO BETTER 
IN THE FACE OF THAT INCREASEED 
DEMAND 
THAN OTHERS.
WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT SOME 
STATES HAVE REALLY DIS-INVESTED 
IN THEIR 
INFRASTRUCTURE AND THAT SEEMS TO
BE REFLECTED IN REAL CHALLENGES 
BOTH 
IN TERMS OF ONLINE PROBLEMS, 
PEOPLE CALLING IN AND A REAL 
CLOGGING OF 
THE SYSTEM WITH RESPECT TO 
GETTING OUT BENEFITS THAT, SAY, 
ARE IN THE 
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE SYSTEM.
AND THEN IN ADDITION, THERE ARE 
CERTAIN ELEMENTS OF THE PROCESS 
THAT 
TEND TO BE MORE SALIENT FOR DIS
ADVANTAGED FAMILIES WHEREBY 
ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS THAT
ARE BAKED INTO THE SYSTEM SLOW 
DOWN 
THE PROCESS OF DELIVERY.
SO MANY PEOPLE ARE FOCUSED ON 
THE FACT THAT THIS UNEMPLOYMENT 
INSURANCE EXPANSION WAS VERY 
SIGNIFICANT.
$600 PER WEEK.
WHY SHOULD WE BE WORRIED IN THE 
FACE OF SUCH A SIGNIFICANT UN
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE EXPANSION
?
WELL, IT TURNS OUT THAT NOT 
EVERYBODY IS GETTING UN
EMPLOYMENT 
INSURANCE.
AND SO THIS CHART HERE 
CALCULATES TO THE BEST OF OUR 
ABILITY WITH THE 
REAL-TIME DATA TO CALCULATE THE 
SHARE OF THE UNEMPLOYED WHO ARE 
ACTUALLY RECEIVING UNEMPLOYMENT 
INSURANCE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT RED 
LINE HAS INCREASEED OVER TIME 
MONTH TO 
MONTH TO MONTH SINCE THE 
PANDEMIC, BUT WE'RE STILL NOT AT
ALL UNEMPLOY
UNEMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS RECEIVE
ING UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.
AND THE PANDEMIC, THE NEW SELF-
EMPLOYED PROGRAM WAS PARTICULAR
LY SLOW 
TO ROLL OUT.
JUST TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF 
EXAMPLES, CALIFORNIA WAS ONE OF 
THE FIRST 
STATES TO GET OUR PANDEMIC GIG 
ECONOMY WORKER UNEMPLOYMENT 
SYSTEM OUT, 
AND WE HAD CHECKS COMING OUT BY 
THE END OF APRIL.
THAT'S SIX WEEKS INTO THE CRISIS
.
AND IF A HOUSEHOLD DOESN'T HAVE 
A LOT OF SAFETY NET, DOESN'T 
HAVE A 
LOT OF SAVINGS, THAT'S A LONG 
TIME TO WAIT.
OTHER STATES DIDN'T GET THEIR 
SYSTEMS IN PLACE UNTIL A MONTH 
OR SIX 
WEEKS LATER THAN THAT.
SO THERE'S DELAYS.
SECOND OF ALL, THERE ARE ALSO DE
LAYS IN TERMS OF THE ECONOMIC 
IMPACT 
PAYMENTS, THOSE STIMULUS PACKAGE
S THAT CAME OUT OF THE TREASURY.
SO INTERESTINGLY, THE WAY THE 
TREASURY DELIVERED THESE BENEFIT
S WAS IF 
YOU HAD PREVIOUSLY FILED A TAX 
RETURN IN 2018 OR 2019, YOU 
WOULD HAVE 
TO TAKE NO ACTION AND THE 
PAYMENT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY BE 
SENT TO YOU 
IF YOU WERE ELIGIBLE.
IF YOU HAD GIVEN THE TREASURY 
YOUR BANKING DETAILS, THEY 
DIRECT 
DEPOSITED THAT ALL OUT ON APRIL 
17TH.
THAT'S WHY YOU SAW THAT BIG 
SPIKE IN THAT CHART.
IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE YOUR BANKING 
DETAILS, CHECKS WERE SENT OUT 
AND 
THOSE SORT OF DRIBBLEED OUT IN 
THE WEEKS AFTER APRIL 17TH.
HOWEVER, IF YOU DIDN'T FILE A 
TAX RETURN, WHICH HOUSEHOLDS ARE
NOT 
REQUIRED TO IF THEY HAVE 
SUFFICIENTLY LOW EARNINGS OR LOW
INCOME, THEN 
YOU ACTUALLY HAD TO TAKE SEVERAL
AFFIRMATIVE STEPS TO APPLY FOR 
THOSE 
BENEFITS.
AND ESTIMATES SHOW THAT 12 
MILLION INDIVIDUALS ARE ELIGIBLE
FOR THESE 
PAYMENTS BUT HAD TO GO THROUGH A
NEW ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE TO 
GET 
THEM.
AND THE DATA'S INCOMPLETE ON 
THIS AT THIS POINT, BUT THIS 
LOOKS TO BE 
REALLY A VERY SLOW PROCESS.
AND THESE ARE THE MOST DIS
ADVANTAGED AMERICANS THAT WOULD 
HAVE TO TAKE 
THESE ADDITIONAL STEPS.
SO JUST ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF THE 
DELAY.
THIS IS A CHART THAT GIVES YOU 
AN IDEA OF HOW QUICKLY ACROSS 
THE 
UNITED STATES THIS PANDEMIC EBT 
PROGRAM WAS DISTRIBUTEED.
THIS WAS A NEW PROGRAM.
WE HAD TO CONVERT AND IN-SCHOOL 
SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM TO A DEBIT 
CARD 
TO HOUSEHOLDS.
A VERY CHALLENGING IMPLEMENT
ATION PROBLEM AND IT TOOK A LONG
TIME TO 
GET OUT AND NOW THAT PROGRAM HAS
EXPIRED AND THAT BENEFIT IS GONE
.
SO THEN THE LAST POINT IS JUST 
AN ISSUE THAT THESE RELIEF 
PACKAGE 
EXPANSIONS DO NOT REACH ALL 
AMERICANS.
PART OF IT HAS TO DO WITH 
STATUTORY LIMITATIONS.
UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS ARE NOT 
ELIGIBLE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT 
INSURANCE.
ALL HOUSEHOLDS THAT HAD ANY 
ADULT THAT DID NOT HAVE A SOCIAL
SECURITY 
NUMBER WERE INELIGIBLE FOR THE 
ECONOMIC IMPACT PAYMENTS.
THAT IS A MUCH MORE DRAMATIC 
LIMITATION TO IMMIGRANTS THAN 
PRIOR 
STIMULUS PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN.
FINALLY, UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE,
EVEN AMONG THOSE THAT ARE 
ELIGIBLE, 
NOT EVERYBODY IS CONVERTING TO 
BEING ON THE PROGRAM.
THE BLUE BARS ON THE LEFT GIVE 
YOU AN IDEA THIS DATA IS FROM 
THE SORT 
OF BEGINNING OF JUNE THAT SHOWS 
A FRACTION OF INDIVIDUALS BY 
EDUCATION 
LEVEL WHO WERE EITHER ALREADY 
RECEIVEING OR HAD APPLIED FOR UN
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE IF THEY 
HAD BEEN FURLOUGHED.
AND YOU SEE DRAMATIC DISPARITY
IES BY EDUCATION WITH LOWER 
RATES OF 
ACCESS FOR THOSE WITH LOWER 
EDUCATION LEVELS.
AND THIS HAS BEEN REPLICATED -- 
I WAS JUST READING AN ARTICLE BY
LIZ 
(WORD OR NAME NOT RECOGNIZED) 
THAT HAD SOME DATA FOR A SAMPLE 
OF 1,000 
INDIVIDUALS IN PHILADELPHIA SHOW
ING SIMILAR PATTERNS OF LACK OF 
ACCESS
ACCESS.
AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE CHART, YOU
CAN SEE THIS IS LOOKING 
BACKWARDS TO 
THE GREAT RECESSION.
WE ALSO SAW DIFFERENCES IN 
ACCESS TO UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
.
SO NOT EVERYBODY IS RECEIVEING 
THE BENEFITS.
SO LET ME JUST KIND OF CLOSE BY 
SAYING THAT THIS IS NOT JUST A 
CRISIS 
FOR RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE GOT A GROWING AMOUNT OF 
EVIDENCE THAT WHEN CHILDREN HAVE
DON'T HAVE 
ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND 
NUTRITION IN CHILDHOOD THAT THAT
LEADS TO LONG
LONG-RUN IMPACTS ON THEIR 
ECONOMIC AND HEALTH OUTCOMES IN 
ADULTHOOD.
SO THE CONCERN HERE IS THAT THE 
NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THIS CRISIS 
COULD 
ACTUALLY BE QUITE LONG LASTING.
AND THEN THE OTHER CONTEXT 
THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THESE FIND
INGS THAT 
PERHAPS WE CAN TALK ABOUT MORE 
IS THAT BEHIND THIS RELIEF 
PACKAGE IS A 
SOCIAL SAFETY NET IN THE UNITED 
STATES THAT'S REALLY QUITE WEAK.
THE REGULAR UNEMPLOYMENT PROGRAM
IS NOT VERY GENEROUS IN MANY 
STATES 
WITH AVERAGE REPLACEMENT RATES 
OF LESS THAN 50% IN MANY STATES 
AND THE 
REST OF THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET IN
THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN 
MOVING 
MORE AND MORE OVER TIME TOWARDS 
CONDITIONALITY, REQUIRING WORK 
IN 
ORDER TO RECEIVE BENEFITS.
AND THAT MAY WORK SEMI-ADEQUATE
LY IN A TIME OF AVAILABLE JOBS, 
BUT 
DOES NOT WORK WELL IN THE 
CONTEXT OF LITTLE WORK SUCH AS 
WE HAVE TODAY
TODAY.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE 
QUESTIONS AND PLEASE SEND THEM 
IN VIA YouT
YouTube.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
MAYBE WE CAN GO -- OH, WE CAN 
MOVE AWAY FROM SCREEN SHARING.
THANKS SO MUCH, HILLARY.
WE SO APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE 
TIME TO PRESENT THIS REALLY 
IMPORTANT 
WORK.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS UNTIL WE 
HEAR FROM OUR AUDIENCE.
YOU WROTE A VERY HIGHLY CITED 
ARTICLE CALLED "WHO SUFFERS 
DURING 
RECESSIONS?"
AND THAT FOCUSED ON THIS 
RECESSION OF 2007, 2008.
AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS, HOW IS 
THIS CRISIS DIFFERENT IN TERMS 
OF ITS 
MAGNITUDE AND WHO IS ACTUALLY 
SUFFERING?
>> IN THAT WORK, WHAT WE FOUND 
IS THAT A CONSISTENT FEATURE 
ACROSS 
RECESSIONS GOING BACK TO THE 
EARLY '80S, SO WE LOOKED AT DATA
FROM 
1979 THROUGH THE GREAT RECESSION
, AND WHAT WE FOUND CONSISTENTLY
IS 
THAT WHEN AN ECONOMY GOES INTO A
RECESSION IN THE UNITED STATES, 
THE 
RISK OF JOB LOSS IS NOT UNIFORM 
ACROSS THE POPULATION AND 
THERE'S A 
VERY CONSISTENT PATTERN WHEREBY 
MEN ARE MORE IMPACTED THAN WOMEN
.
VERY YOUNG WORKERS ARE MORE 
IMPACTED THAN MIDDLE-AGE AND OLD
ER WORKERS
WORKERS.
AND PEOPLE OF COLOR, BLACK AND 
LATINX WORKERS, ARE MORE IMPACT
ED THAN 
WHITE WORKERS.
AND ACTUALLY JUST THIS WEEK, WE 
GOT THE DATA TOGETHER TO UPDATE 
THAT 
WORK AND SAY, WELL, HOW IS THIS 
RECESSION DIFFERENT?
AND THERE'S OTHER WORK THAT'S 
COMING ONLINE THAT ALSO SUPPORTS
THE 
FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS.
AND THAT IS THE MAIN DIFFERENCE 
THAT YOU SEE BETWEEN THE CURRENT
CRISIS AND EARLIER CRISIS, BE
SIDES THE MAGNITUDE, OF COURSE, 
AND THE 
SEVEREITY, BUT IN TERMS OF THE 
DISTRIBUTIONAL IMPACTS, IS WE 
SEE WOMEN 
BEING -- ESSENTIALLY THE MAIN 
EXPLANATION FOR WHY MEN TEND TO 
BE MORE 
IMPACTED THAN WOMEN IS THAT THEY
TEND TO BE MORE LIKELY TO WORK 
IN 
VERY CYCLICAL INDUSTRIES SUCH AS
CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURING.
AND WOMEN ARE MORE REPRESENTED 
IN SERVICES AND PUBLIC SECTOR 
WHICH 
TEND TO BE LESS AFFECTED BY 
CYCLICAL FLUCTUATIONS.
THIS RECESSION, OF COURSE, IS 
VERY DIFFERENT.
AND THE FOCUS ON IN-PERSON, 
RESTAURANTS, HOSPITALITY AND THE
CARE 
INDUSTRY IS MUCH MORE FEMALE-
FOCUSED SO THAT'S ONE VERY CLEAR
DIFFERENCE IN THE CURRENT CRISIS
.
>> I SEE.
SO YOU'RE SAYING WOMEN ARE MUCH 
MORE AFFECTED IN THIS CRISIS 
THAN IN 
THE PREVIOUS ONE WHICH WAS 
PRIMARILY MEN.
>> RIGHT.
>> SO JUST LOOKING AHEAD, DO YOU
SEE THAT A LOT OF THE GAINS 
WE'VE 
MADE IN TERMS OF MORE EQUALITY 
IN THE WORK FORCE DISAPPEARING?
IF YOU'RE A WOMAN WATCHING THIS 
PROGRAM, DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS 
OF 
WISDOM?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT WHAT 
REALLY CONCERNS ME IS THE SORT 
OF PERFECT 
STORM OF BOTH WHO IS IMPACTED 
AND WHO ORIGINALLY LOST WORK.
THAT WAS MORE FEMALE THAN IT HAD
BEEN IN THE PAST, AND I THINK 
BACK IF 
WE WERE TALKING IN APRIL, WE 
WOULD PROBABLY BE SAYING THAT IF
WE CAN 
JUST GET THIS UNDER CONTROL, 
THIS WILL BE SHORT-LIVID AND 
THOSE JOBS 
WILL STILL BE THERE.
NOW A LOT OF THE TEMPORARY 
LAYOFFS ARE NOW MOVING MORE AND 
MORE 
TOWARDS CONCERNS ABOUT PERMANENT
LAYOFFS, BUT THE LAYER ON TOP OF
THE 
JOB MARKET, OF THE LABOR MARKET 
PIECE, IS THE CHILDREN PIECE.
AT HOME, GOING TO SCHOOL REMOTE
LY.
YOUNG CHILDREN IN PARTICULAR ARE
NOT ABLE TO DO THAT ON THEIR OWN
.
SO WHAT WE'VE SEEN EVIDENCE OF 
IS WOMEN MOVING OUT OF THE LABOR
FORCE 
IN ORDER TO HAVE TO BE DOING THE
WORK IN THE HOME.
AND I THINK THE REAL QUESTION IS
WHAT IS THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A BIG UN
KNOWN.
>> OKAY, THANK YOU.
SO THAT IS OF CONCERN.
I HAVE A QUESTION.
YOU'RE SHOWING US THAT DESPITE 
THIS BIG POLICY RESPONSE FROM 
THE 
GOVERNMENT, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS
JUST UNHEARD OF NEGATIVE 
CONSEQUENCES 
AND NOW 600 BILLION HAS NOT BEEN
ENOUGH TO REALLY COMPENSATE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T TAKING UN
EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.
IN FACT, YOUR NUMBERS SUGGEST 
LESS THAN 50% OF PEOPLE WHO ARE 
ELIGIBLE 
ARE ACTUALLY USING IT.
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT'S THE CASE
, THAT THE TAKE-UP OF UN
EMPLOYMENT 
INSURANCE IS SO LOW?
>> WELL, I THINK AT THIS POINT, 
I THINK GIVE YOU WHAT IS MY BEST
SORT 
OF SENSE OF THIS.
THE RESEARCH ON THIS I THINK IS 
STILL COMING ONLINE, BUT WE TEND
TO 
SEE A VERY COMMON PATTERN WITH 
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE THAT MORE
SKILLED WORKERS TEND TO BE MORE 
LIKELY TO GET UNEMPLOYMENT THAN 
LESS 
SKILLED WORKERS.
IN THE CURRENT CRISIS, THERE'S A
LOT OF QUALITATIVE EVIDENCE THAT
THIS 
HAS TO DO IN PART WITH POSSIBLY 
THE DIGITAL DIVIDE PLAYING A 
ROLE AND 
THE REAL CONGESTION IN CALLING 
UP THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE 
OFFICE.
AND WHAT YOU TEND TO SEE IS A 
LOT OF VARIATION ACROSS STATES 
AND THE 
EXTENT TO WHICH THE SYSTEM IS 
CLOGGED.
AND IN SOME STATES, FOR EXAMPLE,
THERE WAS REPORTING OUT IN 
FLORIDA, 
JUST TO GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE.
SO THERE'S THIS NEW PROGRAM TO 
PROVIDE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE 
BENEFITS 
TO GIG ECONOMY AND SELF-EMPLOYED
WORKERS THAT WAS THIS NEW 
PROGRAM, 
THE PUA PROGRAM.
IN SOME STATES, AND IT WAS 
REPORTED IN FLORIDA AS AN 
EXAMPLE, THEY 
REQUIRED INDIVIDUALS TO APPLY 
FOR REGULAR UNEMPLOYMENT, BE 
REJECTED, 
BEFORE THEY WOULD ACCEPT THEIR 
APPLICATION FOR THE PUA.
AND YOU COULD IMAGINE HOW -- 
JUST TRY TO NAVIGATE THAT.
AND YOU GET THIS REJECTION, YOU 
KNOW THAT MEANS YOU'RE SUPPOSED 
TO 
APPLY FOR THE PROGRAM THAT IS 
NOW NEW?
THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE AND 
THERE'S HUNDREDS OF THESE 
EXAMPLES OUT 
THERE.
>> .
AND I THINK THE REAL QUESTION IS
HOW DO THESE ADMINISTRATIVE 
HURDLES 
PLAY OUT IN DIFFERENT POPULATION
S.
>> I SEE THE.
SO A LOT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE 
HURDLES ARE JUST PLAYING OUT IN 
A WAY 
THAT THEY COMPARE BAIT IN
EQUALITY
THEY EXACERBATE INEQUALITY.
CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE LIKELY 
IMPACT ON WEALTH INEQUALITY, NOT
JUST 
INCOME INEQUALITY, OF THE 
CURRENT ECONOMIC CRISIS?
AND I'LL ADD ANOTHER QUESTION 
WHICH MIGHT BE RELATEED.
SO THERE'S A QUESTION FROM 
PIERRE:  WHAT IS ON YOUR POLICY 
WISHLIST 
FOR THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION?
HE ACTUALLY WROTE FOR A 
POTENTIAL BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, 
BUT I'LL BE 
INCLUSIVE AND SAY WHOEVER BECOME
S OUR NEXT PRESIDENT.
WHAT WOULD BE ON YOUR POLICY 
WISHLIST FOR THAT?
SO TWO QUESTIONS.
WEALTH INEQUALITY AND POLICY 
WISHLIST.
>> SO LET'S TAKE THOSE ONE AT A 
TIME WITH THE WEALTH INEQUALITY.
I THINK THAT ALL YOU NEED TO 
KNOW IS TO LOOK AT THE 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 
HOW THINGS ARE PLAYING OUT IN 
FINANCIAL MARKETS RIGHT NOW AND 
HOW 
THINGS ARE PLAYING OUT ON MAIN 
STREET, SUCH AS THE DATA THAT 
I'VE BEEN 
SHOWING.
IT TURNS OUT THAT IT'S A QUITE 
COMMON PATTERN THAT EARNERS AT 
THE VERY 
TOP, THE INEQUALITY ACTUALLY 
SORT OF INCREASES, BECAUSE 
WEALTH TENDS 
TO GROW AT THE VERY TOP IN 
RECESSIONS.
AND I THINK WE'RE SEEING THAT 
NOW.
SO I THINK IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN
WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO 
WEALTH FOR 
THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE 
POPULATION UNDER WHICH MOST 
PEOPLE'S WEALTH FOR 
PEOPLE BELOW THE MEDIAN IS IN 
THEIR HOMES.
AND THE QUESTION IS, IS THIS 
GOING TO TURN INTO A FORECLOSURE
CRISIS 
AND ARE PEOPLE GOING TO LOSE A 
LOT OF WEALTH IN THEIR HOMES AS 
THINGS 
PROGRESS IN THIS CRISIS?
SO I THINK THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT
AS OF RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT, 
WEALTH IN
INEQUALITY HAS GONE UP PRIMARILY
FOR MOST OF THE POPULATION 
HAVING NO 
CHANGE AND THE VERY TOP OF THE 
DISTRIBUTION WEALTH HAVING 
INCREASEED.
IN TERMS OF WHAT IS ON MY WISH
LIST, I THINK I COULD CALL OUT 
TWO 
THINGS THAT I THINK ARE VERY 
CENTRAL IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE 
TALKING 
ABOUT TODAY, IN TERMS OF THIS 
CRISIS AND HOW THE WEATHERING OF
THAT 
MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT IF WE 
HAD SOME POLICYIES IN PLACE.
AND I THINK NEAR THE TOP OF MY 
LIST ARE UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE.
I THINK SORT OF SECOND WAVE OF 
CRISIS THAT THIS COVID-19 
PANDEMIC IS 
GOING TO GENERATE HAS TO DO WITH
UNPAID MEDICAL BILLS OF WHICH 
THERE'S 
RECENTLY BEEN A LOT OF REPORTING
ON.
THE SECOND THING THAT WOULD BE 
ON MY LIST IS SOMETHING THAT 
CAME OUT 
AS A RECOMMENDATION OF A 
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
PANEL THAT I HAD 
THE GOOD FORTUNE TO BE PART OF.
THE TASK OF THIS NATIONAL 
ACADEMY OF SCIENCES PANEL WAS TO
SUMMARIZE 
THE RESEARCH ON THE SHORT AND 
LONG-RUN IMPACTS OF CHILD 
POVERTY AND 
WHAT POLICYIES THAT HAD AN 
EVIDENCE BASE COULD BE IMPLEMENT
ED TO REDUCE 
CHILD POVERTY BY HALF WITHIN TEN
YEARS.
THAT WAS OUR STATEMENT OF WORK.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE 
ADVOCATEED FOR, RECOMMENDED IN 
THIS 
NATIONAL SCIENCES CONSENSUS 
REPORT, IS SOMETHING CALLED A 
CHILD 
ALLOWANCE.
A CHILD ALLOWANCE IS USED IN A 
LOT OF COUNTRIES.
MOST RECENTLY IN CANADA, 
INTRODUCEED IN THE TRUDEAU 
ADMINISTRATION WHEN 
THEY FIRST CAME IN, ON TARGET TO
REDUCE CHILD POVERTY BY HALF IN 
CANADA.
ESSENTIALLY YOU CAN THINK ABOUT 
A CHILD ALLOWANCE AS LIKE A 
CHILD UBI 
THAT'S PHASED OUT.
IT'S
AT SORT OF MIDDLE INCOME.
AND THE STRUCTURE IN CANADA, YOU
GET $6,000 CANADIAN PER CHILD 
PER 
YEAR.
AND ONCE YOUR INCOME GOES OVER 
200 OR 300% OF THE POVERTY LINE,
THAT 
BENEFIT STARTS TO BE PHASED OUT.
IT'S ADMINISTERED THROUGH THE 
SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM AND YOU 
THINK OF 
IT AS JUST A BASIC SORT OF FLOOR
, INCOME FLOOR, THAT HELPS 
PROVIDE A 
LOT OF PROTECTION.
>> KIND OF LIKE UNIVERSAL INCOME
TARGETED AT CHILDREN?
>> YES.
>> SO THAT'S A REALLY INTEREST
ING SUGGESTION.
I JUST WANT TO FOLLOW UP.
YOU'RE TELLING US THAT THERE 
HAVE BEEN HORRIFIC CONSEQUENCES 
OF THIS 
PANDEMIC, BUT THAT THE 
GOVERNMENT DID SPEND A LOT OF 
MONEY.
IN FACT, $600 BILLION.
BUT IT WASN'T ENOUGH.
SO I GUESS OUR QUESTION IS CAN 
THE GOVERNMENT REALLY AFFORD TO 
INCREASE SUPPORT, FOR EXAMPLE, 
THROUGH A UNIVERSAL CHILD 
ALLOWANCE OR 
TO PLUG THOSE GAPS IN COVERAGE?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, I THINK THERE'S TWO 
PIECES HERE.
THERE'S THE WHAT DO WE NEED TO 
DO NOW AND WHAT DO WE WANT OUR 
SOCIETY 
TO LOOK LIKE GOING FORWARD.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S VERY CLEAR
THAT IN TERMS OF WHAT DO WE NEED
TO 
DO NOW, WE NEED TO DO MORE.
WE NEED TO THINK BIG RIGHT NOW 
IN ORDER TO STOP THE CRISIS THAT
WE 
HAVE GOING ON.
WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THE 
UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE AND THE 
CHILD ALLOWANCE, 
THAT'S VERY MUCH SOMETHING 
LOOKING FORWARD.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE 
WORRYING ABOUT THE PRICE TAG ON 
THE RELIEF 
PACKAGE THAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW.
THE MORE AND MORE THAT WE LEARN 
OVER TIME, WE'VE NOT ONLY GOT 
EVIDENCE 
OF A LOT OF STRESS RIGHT NOW IN 
HOUSEHOLDS, BUT WE KNOW THAT 
THAT 
MEANS A LOT OF COSTS IN THE LONG
RUN TO THOSE FAMILIES AND TO 
SOCIETY 
AS A WHOLE.
>> I SEE.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT WE
CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO ADDRESS THIS
, 
BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO HAVE 
LONG-RUN CONSEQUENCES FOR THE 
WEALTH AND 
HEALTH AND OUR ECONOMY.
I HAVE A QUESTION HERE FROM 
CATHY GARZA.
SHE WRITES:  OUR LOCAL HIGH 
SCHOOLS ARE PROVIDEING MEALS TO 
ALL KIDS.
A RECENT CHANGE IN POLICY FROM 
THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
HOW DOES THIS IMPACT THE CAL 
FRESH PROGRAM AND HOUSEHOLD 
WELL-BEING?
>> GREAT QUESTION.
SO WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT THIS
NEW PANDEMIC EBT PROGRAM, THIS 
WAS 
MEANT TO BE A PROGRAM THAT 
PROVIDED CASH TO HOUSEHOLDS TO 
SPEND ON 
FOOD IN THE ABSENCE OF SCHOOLS 
NOT BEING IN PERSON.
NOW AS WE'VE MOVED BACK INTO THE
SCHOOL YEAR, THAT PANDEMIC EBT 
PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELED.
SO SCHOOLS ARE BACK TO BASICALLY
THE OPTION OF PROVIDEING MEALS 
AT THE 
SCHOOL, AND SO THE QUESTION IS 
WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT SCHOOLS 
THAT ARE 
NOT IN SESSION?
WELL, THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE ABLE 
TO DO THIS ARE CREATEING GRAB 
AND GO 
PROGRAMS.
THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MAKE 
THIS UNIVERSAL.
THAT IS, ANYBODY WHO GOES TO THE
HIGH SCHOOL CAN COME IN AND GET 
THE 
FOOD, BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY 
OF HAVING TO SCREEN WHO WAS EL 
JILL 
AND WHO WAS
ELIGIBLE 
AND WHO WAS NOT.
IT'S A VERY GOOD IDEA BECAUSE IT
WILL REDUCE THE ADMINISTRATIVE 
HURDLES AND MAKE IT EASIER FOR 
PEOPLE TO GET THE FOOD.
I ACTUALLY THINK, HOWEVER, THAT 
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO 
KEEP UP 
THIS EBT PROGRAM, BECAUSE WE 
DON'T NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE GOING 
TO 
SCHOOLS AND STANDING IN LINE AND
ALL OF THE EFFORT AND COST OF 
PUTTING 
TOGETHER THESE MEALS IS NOT 
NOTHING, AND THERE'S A HEALTH 
RISK 
ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
SO THE ADVANTAGE OF THE PANDEMIC
EBT PROGRAM, WHICH WE'VE ALREADY
GONE 
THROUGH THE PROCESS OF CREATEING
, IS THAT IT GIVES HOUSEHOLDS 
SORT OF 
MORE FLEXIBILITY.
AND I THINK IT WOULD HAVE MADE 
SENSE TO KEEP THAT GOING, BUT IN
THE 
ABSENCE OF THAT, I THINK IT'S A 
GOOD POLICY, WHAT THEY'VE 
CONVERTED TO
TO.
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, HILLARY.
WE HAVE TWO MORE QUESTIONS HERE.
WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM SAMUEL.
HE SAYS:  IF ONE OF THE PROBLEMS
WITH GETTING BENEFITS TO 
ELIGIBLE UN
UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE IS LACK OF 
INFORMATION, ARE THERE PROGRAMS 
THAT CAN 
HELP GUIDE POTENTIAL RECIPIENTS 
THROUGH THE PROCESS?
PERHAPS NEW SOFTWARE TOOLS?
PERHAPS THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT 
FOR SOME OF OUR ENTREPRENEURS.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION.
WE HAVE ANOTHER.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME LEFT
SO THESE MIGHT BE THE LAST TWO 
QUESTIONS.
ANOTHER QUESTION FROM DON MOORE 
WHICH IS:  DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS
HOW 
WE OUGHT TO PAY FOR ALL THE 
ADDITIONAL GOVERNMENT 
EXPENDITURES DURING 
THIS CRISIS.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE THE 
EASIER FIRST QUESTION FIRST 
ALTHOUGH 
THEY'RE BOTH TOUGH QUESTIONS.
>> YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT 
OF INNOVATION IN THE SPACE 
AROUND 
GETTING INFORMATION OUT TO 
RECIPIENTS.
NOT AS MUCH ON UNEMPLOYMENT, 
BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT JUST 
HASN'T 
BEEN ON PEOPLE'S MINDS.
MOST OF THE INNOVATION THAT I'VE
SEEN HAS BEEN FOR SNAP, WHERE 
PARTICIPATION RATES IN 
CALIFORNIA HAD BEEN SOMETHING 
LIKE 60, 65%.
AND ALSO IN THE NEW CAL EITC, 
WHICH IS A TAX CREDIT.
AND I ACTUALLY HAD THE GREAT 
FORTUNE TO BE ON THE ADVISORY 
COMMITTEE 
OF THE GROUP AT "CODE FOR 
AMERICA" THAT HAS BEEN REALLY 
OUT THERE AND 
VERY INNOVATEIVE IN DEVELOPING 
TOOLS AND APPS IN THAT SPACE.
THERE'S A LOT OF WORK GOING ON 
IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE 
SPACE, 
IT'S JUST HAPPENING IN REAL TIME
AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT YET.
BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT 
OF OPPORTUNITY OUT THERE TO 
MATCH 
PEOPLE WITH INFORMATION.
AND IT'S NOT JUST THE 
INFORMATION.
IT'S TRYING TO HELP BE THE 
CONDUIT
TO POPULATING THE FORMS THAT ARE
NECESSARY FOR ELIGIBILITY.
SO I CAN FILL IT OUT ON MY PHONE
AND THEN ON THE BACK END, "CODE 
FOR 
AMERICA" POPULATES THE NECESSARY
STATE FORMS AND PUSHES IT 
THROUGH TO 
THE OFFICE.
AND THESE ARE THE KINDS OF 
THINGS THAT HAVE STARTED TO SHOW
SOME REAL 
POSSIBILITIES.
>> THANKS, HILLARY.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE 
TIME TO ANSWER DON'S QUESTION, 
BUT I WANT 
TO WRAP THIS UP.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH
.
YOU HAVE REALLY SHED A LOT OF 
LIGHT ON A LOT OF DIFFICULT 
ISSUES.
THE NUMBERS YOU SHOWED US TODAY 
ARE SHOCKING.
YOU SHOWED US THAT ONE IN THREE 
HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN IS 
EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY IN 
AMERICA TODAY.
YOU ALSO SHOWED US THAT DESPITE 
THE VERY SIGNIFICANT RESPONSE OF
THE 
GOVERNMENT THROUGH VARIOUS 
PROGRAMS, IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE 
EVERYTHING YOU'VE SHARED WITH US
TODAY, THANK 
YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> BYE, EVERYONE.
