E-15: Checking the Pulse of the Economy with Dr. Walden

Dr. Michael Walden, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and extension economist, discusses how the economy and jobs have been affected by the pandemic.

Dr. Michael Walden

The pandemic has done a number on our economy. The shut down necessary to stem the spread of COVID-19 caused the economy to recede and led to massive layoffs. To dissect the status of the economy, the manufacturing industry and the possible track to recovery, we're talking to someone we had on the podcast a year ago under different circumstances—economist Dr. Michael Walden.

Dr. Walden is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and extension economist at North Carolina State University. Dr. Walden’s role at NC State is composed of teaching, research and extension responsibilities in consumer economics, economic outlook and public policy. He’s an accomplished author who has published eleven books and over 300 articles and reports.

In this episode, we discuss how the pandemic has affected our economy and North Carolina manufacturing, our economic recovery outlook, the positives and negatives of the US trade deals, Dr. Walden’s new publications and more.

LINKS

Michael Walden
NCMEP
IES

ABOUT

Phil Mintz
Phil Mintz is the Executive Director of NC State Industry Expansion Solutions (IES) and Director of the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP). At NCMEP, Phil drives outreach to NC manufacturers, builds relationships with federal and state leaders and coordinates efforts to drive profitable manufacturing growth in the state. He also leads the broader IES Extension Operations outreach unit of regional managers, technical specialists and business development leaders providing business engagement, assessment and improvement tools. This includes statewide peer networks, ISO 9000 quality management systems, Six Sigma, Lean manufacturing, environmental services, and health and safety solutions.

Dr. Michael Walden
Dr. Michael Walden is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and extension economist at North Carolina State University and a member of the graduate economics faculty with The Poole College of Management. His Ph.D. degree is from Cornell University and has been at N.C. State since 1978. He has also been a Visiting Professor at Duke University. He has served on several local and state level commissions. He currently teaches ARE 201 Introduction to Agricultural and Resource Economics.