This episode is brought to you by Shopify.

Looking to start a side hustle or become your own boss, do it with Shopify.

Whether you're selling succulents or stilettos,

Shopify has the industry leading tools to help you create, control and grow your own business.

So get serious about selling and get Shopify today.

Sign up for a £1 per month trial period at Shopify.com.org or lowercase. That's Shopify.comdegas slash special offer.

For many American families, the past two and a half years have been a time of economic turmoil.

At the beginning of the pandemic, millions of workers lost their jobs and hourly workers in service industries were especially hit hard.

Now unemployment is down, but inflation is up, and so are fears about a possible recession.

This kind of instability and economic hardship affects more than just workers themselves. When people

lose their jobs or have to cope with unstable work schedules and incomes, the effects spill

over to their families, their children, even entire communities. Research has linked job loss to everything

from mental health problems to children's lower test scores in school.

So how have workers, especially low-wage workers and their families, fared over the past two and a half

years? How are they doing now compared with March 2020? Did government interventions such as

expanded unemployment insurance and other programs make a difference in people's lives.

And what is needed now? More broadly, what have researchers learned from the pandemic that could inform

employment and economic policies going forward?

Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association

that examines the links between psychological science and everyday life. I'm Kim Mills.

My guest today is Dr. Anna Gassman Pines, a professor of public policy, psychology, and neuroscience

at Duke University.

...