Economic Update is a weekly program hosted by economics Professor Richard D. Wolff. In addition to having taught economics at Yale University, The City University of New York, and the University of Massachusetts (and currently at the New School University in New York) Wolff is a well-known and widely published critic of contemporary capitalism. He is also a leading proponent of an alternative economic system based on cooperatives and more precisely Workers Self Directed Enterprises (WSDEs). Wolff’s specialty is to take complex economic issues and make them understandable, empowering listeners with information to change not only their own financial situation but the larger economy. By focusing on the economic dimensions of everyday life – wages, jobs, taxes, debts, interest rates, prices, and profits – the program explores alternative ways to organize enterprises, markets, and government policies.  Recent program topics included the economic dimensions of Ferguson, Missouri, declining public pensions, China’s economic growth, the risks of home refinancing and the psychological costs of recessions.

“From as far back as I can remember, I have wondered about the huge gaps between rich and poor. I became a teacher of economics in good part to understand those gaps, explain them to others, and do something about them. Today’s deepening economic inequalities abandon the majority of our people to an economic system that does not work for them. More than ever, I am excited and motivated to explain how the system works especially for those who need and want system change.”  – Prof. Richard D. Wolff  rdwolff.com