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Optimist EconomyAuthor: Kathryn Anne Edwards and Robin Rauzi
Economist Kathryn Anne Edwards and co-host Robin Rauzi talk about the fundamentals of the economy and how to build a better future one problem and solution at a time. Our premise is that the United States has a remarkable economy and yet for tens of millions of Americans it is not performing up to its potential. It could be more open to aspiring workers, less hostile to change, safer for workers, less risky for retirees, and so on. Support the podcast at: optimisteconomy.com Ask questions or share your economic worries with us at: optimist.economy@gmail.com Language: en Genres: Government, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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The Great Wage Stagnation
Episode 13
Tuesday, 21 April, 2026
Average U.S. wages have barely budged since the early '80s — and if you account for today's labor force being older and more college-educated, wage growth basically disappears. Economists have cycled through explanations: workers lacked technical skills, then couldn't compete with global labor, then lost the policies that once lifted paychecks, like strong unions and a meaningful minimum wage. The latest chapter is monopsony — the idea that as employers consolidate, people have fewer choices of where to work, and fewer places to land if they lose a job. Fix the market, and the paychecks follow.Chapters:00:00:45 Announcements00:01:01 Retcon: Double Taxation and Make Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share Act00:03:10 Terms & Conditions: Monopsony, Septel00:07:07 Big Pilcrow: Why Aren’t Wages Growing?00:40:37 Executive Orders: Reverse Billing, Leaked Chat Table Readings00:42:49 Spiritual Sponsors: Dole Whip, Sad Songs, Being Recognized in the Wild Donate to Optimist Economy: https://optimisteconomy.com Follow us on Instagram at @optimist_economy or TikTok at @optimist_economy. Chat with other Optimists on Substack. Andy says look at the Optimist Economy YouTube channel. Get that excellent hat at: https://merch.ambientinks.com/collections/optimisteconomy Got economic anxieties, executive orders or spiritual sponsors? Send them to optimist.economy@gmail.com
