Babson Professor Josh Stillwagon Speaks at Globe Summit 2024

Inflation may be cooling, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other concerns about the economy.

Josh Stillwagon, associate professor of economics at Babson, touched on the state of the economy at a panel last month at Globe Summit 2024, a two-day event from The Boston Globe.

The Globe Summit featured discussions on a wide range of topics, from climate change and health care to sports and food. Stillwagon spoke on a panel entitled, Navigating Economic Shifts: A Vision for Massachusetts.

“The employment situation looks a lot softer now,” said Stillwagon, who also is chair of the Economics Division at Babson. “I think the risks in the economy have really switched from being primarily about inflation with a very hot job market to now there are more worries about the soft job market.”

Moderated by Zeninjor Enwemeka, a senior business reporter at NPR station WBUR, the panel was held at the Harvard Club of Boston, with the audience attending virtually. The panel looked at the shifting economic landscape in the state and beyond, with participants focusing on topics such as the labor market, access to credit, and how Massachusetts can take advantage of its strengths in tech and higher education.

Stillwagon spoke about the exodus of young people that Massachusetts is experiencing and what can be done about it. “It’s really an affordability question, primarily around housing but also energy, issues of transportation cost, and commute time,” he said. “We need to make sure that we address the affordability issue.”

Watch Stillwagon and the panel discussion on YouTube below:

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