Karthik Manickam
@karthikmanickam.bsky.social
"The only good economist is a self-hating economist."
Dalit scholar PhD-ing in Economics at The New School for Social Research, New York | Research Fellow at SCEPA | Political Economy, Development and Labour
Personal Account
Dalit scholar PhD-ing in Economics at The New School for Social Research, New York | Research Fellow at SCEPA | Political Economy, Development and Labour
Personal Account
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
For many Americans, “retirement” accounts aren’t for retirement -- they’re emergency lifelines. Evidence shows workers are draining 401(k)s to cover basic needs, sacrificing future security. We need retirement reform.
@forbes.com
www.forbes.com/sites/teresa...
@forbes.com
www.forbes.com/sites/teresa...
December 15, 2025 at 8:00 PM
For many Americans, “retirement” accounts aren’t for retirement -- they’re emergency lifelines. Evidence shows workers are draining 401(k)s to cover basic needs, sacrificing future security. We need retirement reform.
@forbes.com
www.forbes.com/sites/teresa...
@forbes.com
www.forbes.com/sites/teresa...
Really excited to chair this incredibly important discussion as part of the SAPE series this Wednesday 10 Dec at 1PM ET/11:30pm IST!
SAPE 5. Welfare Regime and Capitalism: 🏡Housing🏡 & 👵🏾Pensions👴🏼
📌Wednesday 10 Dec 6pm UK time
Join Manuel Aalbers and @hwanheebae.bsky.social to discuss ‼️why we can't afford housing and retirement ⁉️, chaired by @karthikmanickam.bsky.social.
▶️ us02web.zoom.us/j/8494914746...
📌Wednesday 10 Dec 6pm UK time
Join Manuel Aalbers and @hwanheebae.bsky.social to discuss ‼️why we can't afford housing and retirement ⁉️, chaired by @karthikmanickam.bsky.social.
▶️ us02web.zoom.us/j/8494914746...
December 9, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Really excited to chair this incredibly important discussion as part of the SAPE series this Wednesday 10 Dec at 1PM ET/11:30pm IST!
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
New SCEPA Research: Most Americans still don’t have enough to retire - and the gap is growing.
Our latest Tracking the Retirement Crisis report breaks down the numbers and what it means for the future.
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/research/mos...
Our latest Tracking the Retirement Crisis report breaks down the numbers and what it means for the future.
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/research/mos...
Most Americans Do Not Have Enough to Retire — ECONOMIC POLICY RESEARCH
RELAB POLICY NOTE | A growing pool of American older workers (age 55 and over) must continue working or seeking work because their retirement income is inadequate.
www.economicpolicyresearch.org
December 4, 2025 at 9:44 PM
New SCEPA Research: Most Americans still don’t have enough to retire - and the gap is growing.
Our latest Tracking the Retirement Crisis report breaks down the numbers and what it means for the future.
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/research/mos...
Our latest Tracking the Retirement Crisis report breaks down the numbers and what it means for the future.
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/research/mos...
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
Prof. Sanjay Reddy's letter in the FT questions proposals for “balanced trade” in a revised US-Mexico-Canada deal. Increasing U.S. producers’ input costs would hurt competitiveness, not help workers. And labour/enviro standards deserve direct attention.
www.ft.com/content/56f2...
www.ft.com/content/56f2...
Letter: A confusing prescription for ‘balanced trade’
From Sanjay G Reddy, Professor of Economics, The New School for Social Research
www.ft.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Prof. Sanjay Reddy's letter in the FT questions proposals for “balanced trade” in a revised US-Mexico-Canada deal. Increasing U.S. producers’ input costs would hurt competitiveness, not help workers. And labour/enviro standards deserve direct attention.
www.ft.com/content/56f2...
www.ft.com/content/56f2...
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
Honored to join Bloomberg TV Wall Street Week to discuss the urgent need to strengthen America’s retirement system. Other countries are taking meaningful steps - and there is a lot we can learn to ensure workers retire with dignity and security.
Full segment: www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/...
Full segment: www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/...
Can the World Afford to Retire? How One Country is Addressing the Crisis
Around the world, market forces – low interest rates, longer lives, workers changing jobs – are testing underfunded pension plans. We explore how the world should rethink financial security for aging ...
www.bloomberg.com
November 17, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Honored to join Bloomberg TV Wall Street Week to discuss the urgent need to strengthen America’s retirement system. Other countries are taking meaningful steps - and there is a lot we can learn to ensure workers retire with dignity and security.
Full segment: www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/...
Full segment: www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/...
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
private equity firms extract, they do not 'invest'
who do they extract from? workers, patients, children in childcare centers they buy..
disgusted by this and in no way surprised
who do they extract from? workers, patients, children in childcare centers they buy..
disgusted by this and in no way surprised
Just weeks before Thanksgiving, Walgreens' new private equity owners Sycamore Partners cut paid holidays for hundreds of thousands of its lowest-paid workers. pestakeholder.org/news/walgree...
Walgreens’ new PE owners cut worker holidays ahead of Thanksgiving
Move mirrors cost-cutting pattern seen across Sycamore’s retail portfolio as workers brace for possible further fallout
pestakeholder.org
November 17, 2025 at 6:51 PM
private equity firms extract, they do not 'invest'
who do they extract from? workers, patients, children in childcare centers they buy..
disgusted by this and in no way surprised
who do they extract from? workers, patients, children in childcare centers they buy..
disgusted by this and in no way surprised
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
Millions of Americans care for aging loved ones — but who cares for them? Our piece explores how unpaid caregivers manage retirement and financial strain, and why the U.S. needs to investment in long-term care.
@jessforden.bsky.social @erinsimmons.bsky.social
generations.asaging.org/caregiving-a...
@jessforden.bsky.social @erinsimmons.bsky.social
generations.asaging.org/caregiving-a...
Caregiving and Retirement: Social Security and the Financial Strain of Eldercare - ASA Generations
Caregivers often turn to Social Security payments to make ends meet, leaving them in a vulnerable position later in life.
generations.asaging.org
October 27, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Millions of Americans care for aging loved ones — but who cares for them? Our piece explores how unpaid caregivers manage retirement and financial strain, and why the U.S. needs to investment in long-term care.
@jessforden.bsky.social @erinsimmons.bsky.social
generations.asaging.org/caregiving-a...
@jessforden.bsky.social @erinsimmons.bsky.social
generations.asaging.org/caregiving-a...
New easy-to-read publication out: Preliminary findings from mixed methods work on student debt and retirement, conducted by myself and @erinsimmons.bsky.social under @tghilarducci.bsky.social 's team at @scepa-economics.bsky.social and @nssrnews.bsky.social
generations.asaging.org/student-debt...
generations.asaging.org/student-debt...
Student Debt Is Not Just for Kids - ASA Generations
A mixed-methods analysis of the impact of student debt on retirement security and claiming age
generations.asaging.org
October 23, 2025 at 2:34 PM
New easy-to-read publication out: Preliminary findings from mixed methods work on student debt and retirement, conducted by myself and @erinsimmons.bsky.social under @tghilarducci.bsky.social 's team at @scepa-economics.bsky.social and @nssrnews.bsky.social
generations.asaging.org/student-debt...
generations.asaging.org/student-debt...
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
The SCEPA team is so proud to have work featured in the latest edition of Generations Journal, "Transformative Approaches to Social Security Benefits" on who Social Security leaves behind and why that must change. This is a call for equity, evidence & action.
generations.asaging.org/publications...
generations.asaging.org/publications...
Transformative Approaches to Social Security Benefits - ASA Generations
Generations Journal, vol. 49, no. 3 (Fall 2025)
generations.asaging.org
October 22, 2025 at 6:38 PM
The SCEPA team is so proud to have work featured in the latest edition of Generations Journal, "Transformative Approaches to Social Security Benefits" on who Social Security leaves behind and why that must change. This is a call for equity, evidence & action.
generations.asaging.org/publications...
generations.asaging.org/publications...
Really important piece by @tghilarducci.bsky.social on the politicisation of the SSA!
Social Security's new chief sent out a partisan, misleading email celebrating Trump’s unpopular “Big, Beautiful Bill.” It falsely claims tax relief for seniors—when in fact, the bill doesn’t touch Social Security taxes and could actually lead to cuts. Read more here
www.forbes.com/sites/teresa...
www.forbes.com/sites/teresa...
New Social Security Commissioner Politicizes The Trusted Agency
trends and policies are happening to Social Security that suggests the agency is becoming more politicized
www.forbes.com
July 7, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Really important piece by @tghilarducci.bsky.social on the politicisation of the SSA!
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
How do we make sense of the many transitions across employment arrangements in India’s labour market?
New in World Development, @rosaabraham.bsky.social & I study the trajectories that characterise Indian labour market, & identify 7 dominant ones. What do they look like? 🧵
x.com/surbhikesar/...
New in World Development, @rosaabraham.bsky.social & I study the trajectories that characterise Indian labour market, & identify 7 dominant ones. What do they look like? 🧵
x.com/surbhikesar/...
June 28, 2025 at 9:50 AM
How do we make sense of the many transitions across employment arrangements in India’s labour market?
New in World Development, @rosaabraham.bsky.social & I study the trajectories that characterise Indian labour market, & identify 7 dominant ones. What do they look like? 🧵
x.com/surbhikesar/...
New in World Development, @rosaabraham.bsky.social & I study the trajectories that characterise Indian labour market, & identify 7 dominant ones. What do they look like? 🧵
x.com/surbhikesar/...
How Your Neighborhood Voted in the NYC Mayoral Election www.thecity.nyc/2025/06/24/m...
Fantastic data tool by a great set of journalists!
Fantastic data tool by a great set of journalists!
How Your Neighborhood Voted in the NYC Mayoral Election
Check out this map to see which candidates got the most first-round votes in every election district in New York City.
www.thecity.nyc
June 25, 2025 at 5:36 PM
How Your Neighborhood Voted in the NYC Mayoral Election www.thecity.nyc/2025/06/24/m...
Fantastic data tool by a great set of journalists!
Fantastic data tool by a great set of journalists!
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
June 25, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
We stand by our use of relative poverty measures—an international standard vital for assessing poverty in wealthy nations. They highlight the struggles older Americans face that absolute metrics miss; crucial for a fair discussion on elder poverty.
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/resource-lib...
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/resource-lib...
Lowballing Elder Poverty: Who Counts As “Poor” In America? - The New School SCEPA
Relative senior poverty levels are more than double the official U.S. rate. Issue Brief | Official U.S. poverty rates significantly undercount America’s elderly poor. According to internationally-reco...
www.economicpolicyresearch.org
June 11, 2025 at 1:46 PM
We stand by our use of relative poverty measures—an international standard vital for assessing poverty in wealthy nations. They highlight the struggles older Americans face that absolute metrics miss; crucial for a fair discussion on elder poverty.
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/resource-lib...
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/resource-lib...
Resharing this article on changes that have been made to the SSA in the first quarter of the year, in light of today's Supreme Court ruling on DOGE access to SSA data.
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/resource-lib...
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/resource-lib...
Trump Can Rebuild Trust in Social Security By Reversing Layoffs and Office Closures Before it's Too Late - The New School SCEPA
by Teresa Ghilarducci and the SCEPA Team | April 2 2025 This policy note is part of SCEPA’s “Tracking the Retirement Crisis” series Elevator Pitch: In just eight weeks, the trust that Social Security ...
www.economicpolicyresearch.org
June 7, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Resharing this article on changes that have been made to the SSA in the first quarter of the year, in light of today's Supreme Court ruling on DOGE access to SSA data.
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/resource-lib...
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/resource-lib...
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
Two things the senate can do right now to save Social Security
June 5, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Two things the senate can do right now to save Social Security
Really exciting volume of HET articles edited by @alexmthomas.bsky.social for the Review of Development and Change!
journals.sagepub.com/toc/rdca/30/...
journals.sagepub.com/toc/rdca/30/...
Review of Development and Change - Volume 30, Number 1_suppl
Table of contents for Review of Development and Change, 30, 1_suppl
journals.sagepub.com
June 1, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Really exciting volume of HET articles edited by @alexmthomas.bsky.social for the Review of Development and Change!
journals.sagepub.com/toc/rdca/30/...
journals.sagepub.com/toc/rdca/30/...
Really important series on older Americans and debt, featuring a small soundbite by yours truly!
"The assumption is that student debt is an issue for younger people, but it's increasingly become an issue for older people," says New School's @karthikmanickam.bsky.social The squeeze is tightening now that collections on defaulted student loans has resumed.
www.nextavenue.org/student-loan...
www.nextavenue.org/student-loan...
Student Loan Debt Haunts Many Retirees
The Trump Administration has resumed collections on defaulted student loans for the first time in five years; older borrowers are most vulnerable
www.nextavenue.org
May 30, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Really important series on older Americans and debt, featuring a small soundbite by yours truly!
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
SCEPA published a new policy note, "America’s Retirement Crisis Hits a Breaking Point" as part of our "Tracking the Retirement Crisis" series.
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/resource-lib...
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/resource-lib...
America’s Retirement Crisis Hits a Breaking Point - The New School SCEPA
Retirement security in the United States is at a critical turning point. As the Baby Boomer generation ages, the nation now has more retirement-age individuals—and more households relying on Social Se...
www.economicpolicyresearch.org
May 9, 2025 at 3:08 PM
SCEPA published a new policy note, "America’s Retirement Crisis Hits a Breaking Point" as part of our "Tracking the Retirement Crisis" series.
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/resource-lib...
www.economicpolicyresearch.org/resource-lib...
Really important series by the SCEPA team documenting the timeline and the extent of changes made to the Social Security Administration in the first quarter of 2025, and what its implications could be for benefits payments!
#SSA #SocialSecurity #Retirement #Economics
tinyurl.com/4v3mch58
#SSA #SocialSecurity #Retirement #Economics
tinyurl.com/4v3mch58
April 3, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Really important series by the SCEPA team documenting the timeline and the extent of changes made to the Social Security Administration in the first quarter of 2025, and what its implications could be for benefits payments!
#SSA #SocialSecurity #Retirement #Economics
tinyurl.com/4v3mch58
#SSA #SocialSecurity #Retirement #Economics
tinyurl.com/4v3mch58
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
@karthikmanickam.bsky.social & I are researching @SCEPA the impact of student debt on retirement & compiling NYC resources for people seeking support!
If you know great community orgs/center/person doing this work, esp with older NYers, pls share!
#SocialSecurity #NYC #Debt #StudentDebt #retirement
If you know great community orgs/center/person doing this work, esp with older NYers, pls share!
#SocialSecurity #NYC #Debt #StudentDebt #retirement
March 31, 2025 at 12:36 PM
@karthikmanickam.bsky.social & I are researching @SCEPA the impact of student debt on retirement & compiling NYC resources for people seeking support!
If you know great community orgs/center/person doing this work, esp with older NYers, pls share!
#SocialSecurity #NYC #Debt #StudentDebt #retirement
If you know great community orgs/center/person doing this work, esp with older NYers, pls share!
#SocialSecurity #NYC #Debt #StudentDebt #retirement
Fantastic new paper by @prachibansal.bsky.social and co that discusses the distributional effects of inflation volatility in India!
New Paper Alert! 🚨 Inflation Inequality in India 🚨
Our study (2015-2023) shows that the poor face higher inflation volatility than the rich.
Published in @epw_in
#Inflation #Inequality #India #EconomicPolicy
www.epw.in/journal/2025...
Our study (2015-2023) shows that the poor face higher inflation volatility than the rich.
Published in @epw_in
#Inflation #Inequality #India #EconomicPolicy
www.epw.in/journal/2025...
March 20, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Fantastic new paper by @prachibansal.bsky.social and co that discusses the distributional effects of inflation volatility in India!
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
Former SSA Economist David Weaver writes about how DOGE attacks on federal workforce disproportionately impact veterans.
www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/202...
www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/202...
With 1.6M Vets In Federal Workforce, DOGE Oversight Is Needed
The federal workforce is an important part of the American labor force, with an estimated 3 million individuals employed directly by federal agencies and 5.22 million individuals w
www.realclearmarkets.com
March 18, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Former SSA Economist David Weaver writes about how DOGE attacks on federal workforce disproportionately impact veterans.
www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/202...
www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/202...
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
The ever-excellent Sanjay Reddy on why we all need to care about the efforts to dismantle academic freedom in US universities
indianexpress.com/article/opin...
indianexpress.com/article/opin...
Why the world – and India – needs to care about the attacks on American universities
The detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a student at Columbia University who was prominent in leading protests against Israeli actions in Gaza, marks an inflexion point. At stake is the very existence of a f...
indianexpress.com
March 17, 2025 at 2:55 PM
The ever-excellent Sanjay Reddy on why we all need to care about the efforts to dismantle academic freedom in US universities
indianexpress.com/article/opin...
indianexpress.com/article/opin...
Reposted by Karthik Manickam
This is horrible to post, but I may as well post it. We are essentially shutting down research operations in my group, which is focused on treatments for pediatric brain cancer. I’m a well funded investigator, and there’s no choice. Science can’t function without the stability of NIH
March 15, 2025 at 5:32 PM
This is horrible to post, but I may as well post it. We are essentially shutting down research operations in my group, which is focused on treatments for pediatric brain cancer. I’m a well funded investigator, and there’s no choice. Science can’t function without the stability of NIH