Southwest Economy Podcast
37 episodes - English - Latest episode: 25 days ago -Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas senior economist Pia Orrenius explores new and noteworthy trends and developments affecting Texas, northern Louisiana and southern New Mexico. Topics are drawn from Southwest Economy, the Dallas Fed’s regional quarterly.
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Episodes
Federal budget conundrum: needs versus wants
April 04, 2024 15:38 - 32 minutes - 15.1 MBClosing the widening federal budget will require tough choices, possibly including new taxes and cuts to entitlement programs, such as Social Security and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. American Enterprise Institute tax expert Alan Viard discusses some options with Dallas Fed economist Pia Orrenius.
Brownsville rockets ahead in a newfound economic boom
January 19, 2024 14:43 - 19 minutes - 9.54 MBBrownsville, long a quiet community in the largely agricultural Lower Rio Grande Valley, confronts a burst of activity from SpaceX launches to new port trade. Texas National Bank President Joe Quiroga, a lifelong area resident and Dallas Fed director, discusses the rapid change with Dallas Fed economist Pia Orrenius.
Texas job mix resembles U.S., output retains oil patch ties
December 29, 2023 15:49 - 11 minutes - 5.66 MBDallas Fed economists Jesse Thompson and Pia Orrenius discuss how the employment profile of Texas increasingly resembles the U.S., while the energy sector ensures that the state remains unique.
When you don’t get ahead by simply working harder
November 03, 2023 14:49 - 30 minutes - 14.4 MBEconomist Jeffrey Fuhrer, a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution and former Boston Fed director of research, discusses The Myth that Made Us, his new book about inequalities in the nation’s economic system. He offers proposals to close the nation’s wealth gap in a discussion with Dallas Fed economist Pia Orrenius.
The messenger affects who listens to your message
November 03, 2023 14:48 - 19 minutes - 9.24 MBUniversity of Chicago Booth School associate professor Michael Weber explains how audiences are most receptive to monetary policy messaging delivered by Fed officials whose ethnic or gender background is similar to theirs. The tendency is also generally observed in other communications contexts, he tells Dallas Fed economist Pia Orrenius.
Learning from recent U.S. bank difficulties and assessing Texas institutions
September 29, 2023 14:10 - 22 minutes - 10.5 MBBen Munyan, the Dallas Fed’s Banking Supervision Department’s director of supervisory policy, provides insights on lessons learned this year and discusses with Dallas Fed economist Pia Orrenius where Texas banks stand.
Tech services firm Softtek touts its skilled Mexican talent pool to U.S. firms
July 06, 2023 21:13 - 16 minutes - 7.85 MBBeni Lopez, chief executive of the Dallas-based U.S and Canada division of Softtek, outlines the Monterrey, Mexico, company’s strategy in the competitive North American market.
Two-car families hedging their bets on the energy transition (Part 2)
April 19, 2023 17:58 - 12 minutes - 6.1 MBDallas Fed economist David Rapson says electric vehicles often supplement rather than replace existing fossil-fuel powered cars in part two of his discussion with host and Dallas Fed economist Pia Orrenius.
The drive to ‘electrify’ the economy during the energy transition (Part 1)
April 19, 2023 17:55 - 14 minutes - 6.79 MBDallas Fed economist David Rapson says there’s more to the energy transition than switching to electric cars in part one of his discussion with host and Dallas Fed economist Pia Orrenius.
A former Mexican central banker outlines a postpandemic view of his country
March 01, 2023 22:08 - 24 minutes - 11.6 MBFormer Banco de México chief economist Daniel Chiquiar discusses Mexico’s postpandemic outlook and its susceptibility to a U.S. downturn in a discussion with Dallas Fed senior business economist Jesus Cañas.
Texas paradox: elevated economic growth despite joblessness above U.S. rate
January 20, 2023 17:27 - 11 minutes - 5.26 MBSenior economist Anil Kumar explores how greater labor availability in Texas—indicated by comparatively higher unemployment—spurs economic activity in an era of worker shortages across the country.
Growing Texas grocer H-E-B navigates pandemic-era, economic concerns
December 22, 2022 21:31 - 21 minutes - 14.8 MBH-E-B President Craig Boyan discusses with Dallas Fed economist Pia Orrenius how the privately held grocer has tried to handle supply, price and labor challenges while continuing to expand in the state.
Supply Chains Showing Signs of Renewal
November 04, 2022 19:26 - 11 minutes - 5.58 MBThe era of shortages that began with the pandemic may be winding down, Dallas Fed economist Chris Slijk suggests in this discussion of pervasive supply disruptions with Dallas Fed economist Pia Orrenius.
Not Yet: Nearshoring Hasn’t Replaced Globalization
November 02, 2022 19:53 - 22 minutes - 10.6 MBPol Antràs, the Robert G. Ory Professor of Economics at Harvard University, explains why despite frayed supply chains and geopolitical tensions, globalization remains a guiding principal for much of how world trade is conducted.
Despite Diversification Efforts, Houston’s Still an Oil Town
July 14, 2022 19:18 - 11 minutes - 5.33 MBHouston, slow to escape pandemic-era doldrums, has charged ahead with strengthening energy markets. Dallas Fed senior business economist Jesse Thompson and senior economist Pia Orrenius discuss what lies ahead for Houston.
Free Trade as a Tool to Stem Central American Migration to the U.S.
July 05, 2022 16:25 - 16 minutes - 7.63 MBTrade may have hit a few bumps during the pandemic, but it retains the ability to help deal with some vexing problems. The Dallas Fed’s Pia Orrenius discusses with Raymond Robertson of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University how a revamped Central America–U.S. free trade agreement could slow the northward flow of migrants.
Will Students Who Opted Out of College During COVID-19 Return?
April 28, 2022 14:41 - 10 minutes - 7.78 MBEnrollment dropped at colleges and universities in the U.S. and Texas as COVID-19 swept across the nation. Dallas Fed economists Wenhua Di and Pia Orrenius discuss the implications and the importance of getting back to normal.
Legal Marijuana in NM: How Will Costs Stack Up Against Benefits?
April 21, 2022 13:49 - 19 minutes - 9.36 MBRecent legalization of recreational marijuana in New Mexico opens up retail sales next door to Texas. University of New Mexico economist Sarah S. Stith discusses the economic gains and social and medical costs with the Dallas Fed’s Pia Orrenius and Keighton Hines.
Going Global in Pursuit of Semiconductors and Austin’s Special Role
January 28, 2022 21:23 - 18 minutes - 8.56 MBCOVID-19 brought to the fore the world’s dependence on semiconductors. Tyson Tuttle, who retired in January as CEO of Austin-based Silicon Labs and remains on its board, discusses the chip shortage and how the 2021 Texas freeze contributed to it. He also reflects on Austin’s ascension as a technology hub.
Coastal Residents Ride Pandemic Waves to Texas
January 06, 2022 20:33 - 14 minutes - 10.2 MBBig metro areas on the coasts—especially those in California—have led a surge of migration to Texas since COVID-19’s onset. Dallas Fed Senior Research Economist Yichen Su discusses what moves folks to come to Texas and how he used credit report data to document it.
Back to School: Texas Community Colleges Lead in Skills Training
September 30, 2021 16:18 - 16 minutes - 7.59 MBTexas community colleges are among the U.S. leaders in helping keep the workforce skills current, Opportunity America President Tamar Jacoby explains in a discussion with Dallas Fed Senior Economist Pia Orrenius.
Obsolescent Workers Head to Employment Sidelines
September 30, 2021 16:10 - 19 minutes - 9.3 MBWorkplace change, once thought to take a decade or more, became reality during the COVID-19 economic dislocation, Tamar Jacoby, president of Opportunity America, tells Dallas Fed Senior Economist Pia Orrenius.
Federal Aid Didn’t Reach Eligible Immigrants
August 16, 2021 18:27 - 12 minutes - 5.95 MBLegal immigrants, eligible to receive COVID-19 assistance, didn’t seek help at a rate most others did. Senior research economist Wenhua Di discusses why that happened.
Paying More During Long Recovery
August 03, 2021 13:04 - 11 minutes - 16.6 MBPetrochemicals, used in a range of goods and even foods, will remain tight into 2022 following last February’s historic freeze, senior economist Jesse Thompson says.
Energy and Manufacturing Jumpstart Texas Export Engine
May 28, 2021 15:18 - 15 minutes - 21 MBDallas Fed economists assess the nation’s largest exporting state after a pandemic-year slump hit Texas especially hard.
Recovering from COVID-19: Texas Economy Bounds Out of Sick Bed
May 28, 2021 14:31 - 11 minutes - 15.6 MBSenior business economist Emily Kerr describes how the Texas economy’s recovery is unlike any she has seen while monitoring state activity.
Suburban Housing Boom Likely to Endure Beyond COVID-19 Era
March 10, 2021 21:38 - 9 minutes - 13.4 MBResearch economist Yichen Su explains how the pandemic provided the impetus for the recent relocation from central cities to the suburbs and why some of the shift will likely persist.
How Texas Benefits – and Misses Out – When it Comes to Covid-19 Unemployment Benefits
March 01, 2021 16:12 - 10 minutes - 14.5 MBDallas Fed Senior Economist Anil Kumar discusses how Texas benefits from increased federal unemployment insurance and why the state misses out on realizing the full measure of Covid-19 jobs relief.
An African-American Economist Assesses his Profession and Classroom, Academic Challenges
November 30, 2020 16:04 - 17 minutes - 8.16 MBUniversity of Oklahoma Economist Gary A. Hoover talks with Dallas Fed Senior Economist Pia Orrenius about underrepresentation of African Americans in economics and the challenges of discussing race, ethnicity and inequality in the classroom.
Covid-19’s Fiscal Ills: Texas’ Remedies for Budgetary Health
November 16, 2020 20:20 - 18 minutes - 8.5 MBDallas Fed senior economist Jason Saving discusses with Dallas Fed Senior Economist Keith R. Phillips how Texas’s budgetary response to the pandemic will differ from other states.
Black Workers at Risk for 'Last Hired, First Fired’ in COVID-19 Era
August 28, 2020 21:08 - 15 minutes - 7.35 MBDallas Fed Research Analyst Aquil Jones and Executive Vice President Joseph Tracy explain why Black workers became particularly vulnerable to the phenomenon of ‘last hired, first fired’ in the economic fallout from COVID-19.
Cash-Strapped Small Businesses Struggle in COVID-19 Era
July 15, 2020 13:49 - 12 minutes - 5.69 MBDallas Fed senior economist Wenhua Di assesses the plight of small businesses attempting to navigate COVID-19 uncertainty.
Rising Vehicle Costs Under USMCA
May 06, 2020 16:56 - 10 minutes - 4.93 MBBusiness economist Jesus Cañas discusses his work with colleagues at Banco de México that indicates higher production costs ahead for motor vehicles made in North America under the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Turning Off the Oil Tap
April 28, 2020 20:01 - 11 minutes - 5.57 MBBusiness economist Jesse Thompson explains how shale oil firms shut down production as prices plummet and how operators have improved efficiency. The podcast occurred before the futures market’s sub-zero price collapse.
Texas Offers Perfect Setting to Study Impact, Costs of Climate Change
April 21, 2020 15:52 - 12 minutes - 5.95 MBTo commemorate Earth Day, the Southwest Economy Podcast brings back our interview with Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist and professor at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, where she directs the Climate Science Center. She was a lead author of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, which documents the extent of climate change.
How the 2018 Federal Tax Cut Propelled Texas’ Economy
March 02, 2020 21:10 - 11 minutes - 5.5 MBDallas Fed economist Anil Kumar discusses federal tax law changes and the benefits Texas realized.
Gentrification Transforms Big, Booming Texas Cities
February 19, 2020 22:56 - 14 minutes - 6.57 MBEconomist Yichen Su describes how Texas’s biggest cities are experiencing a wave of gentrification and navigating the consequences of rapid redevelopment.