This page collects Institute-affiliated resources that address why expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion in the economics profession is an urgent priority. The events, conversations, and articles here provide concrete suggestions for how to achieve greater diversity, equity, and inclusion for the people who work in the profession as well as the methods that economists employ and the questions they address.
Racism and the Economy: Focus on the Economics Profession
This event focused on how racism affects economists and practice of economics. Panelists discussed the factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of people of color in economics as well as strategies to increase inclusion at every level, from recruitment and hiring to mentoring and publishing. The discussion then examined what questions economists have ignored and how their assumptions around race and racism can be incomplete and problematic. These insights informed a conversation about improving economics research practices and professional processes. The event’s webpage includes a curated list of additional resources from the Federal Reserve System and participating panelists.
Reaching our full potential
This conference report highlights the importance of people and ideas to advance diversity and inclusion in the economics profession. It explains why confronting racism in economics is essential to the Federal Reserve, summarizes key ideas from the “Racism and the Economy: Focus on the Economics Profession” event, and offers a concrete to-do list for the profession.
Where do we go from here?
In this article, four individuals from underrepresented groups who are members of the next generation of economists share their perspectives on how the economics profession can, and should, change. They point to the way elitism in the field acts as a barrier to achieving diversity and inclusion and how improving people’s experiences is just as important as increasing numbers.
Race in Economic Research: From One Dimension to Many
Race shapes many daily interactions and experiences, contributing to economic outcomes in many ways—yet research methods in economics often abstract from this complexity. At the Institute’s 2021 fall research conference, panelists discussed how researchers can enrich their study of questions related to race in economics and how they can evaluate the impact of their analytical decisions.
Focus on the Economics Profession: Discussion guide
Building a racially inclusive economics profession takes leadership. We encourage you to initiate or continue conversations about the role of racism in economics with your colleagues, staff, and students. This guide offers questions to (1) prompt personal reflection on your own experiences; (2) examine barriers that racism imposes on diversity, inclusion, and research; and (3) consider strategies for change.
Federal Reserve Research Assistant Information
To promote diversity in the Research Assistant position, the 12 Federal Reserve Banks and the Board of Governors launched fedeconjobs.org to encourage students from all backgrounds to apply. RAs serve the public, gain meaningful work experience, and expand their career options. On this page, you can ask a question of a current RA, register for an event, and find job postings.