How Do Tariffs Impact Unemployment and Low Income Households? We Asked a Leading Economist - feat. Professor Steve Durlauf

Borderline Economics Podcast

Borderline Economics Podcast
How Do Tariffs Impact Unemployment and Low Income Households? We Asked a Leading Economist - feat. Professor Steve Durlauf
Jan 21, 2026
James O'Neil

One of the key goals of tariff policy was to bring jobs and infrastructure back to America. But what does history tell us about how tariffs impact employment, and who gets hurt the most when unemployment drops? In this episode of Borderline Economics, we spoke with economist Steve Durlauf from the University of Chicago about how tariffs might shape the economy and employment in the coming year and which groups in America are disproportionately impacted by shifts in the employment rate.

Learn about how tariffs are disproportionately impacting low-income households and families in poverty at www.borderlineeconomics.org.