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Decode Econ

Decode Econ

Abdullah Al Bahrani 78 Episodes Oct 10, 2026

Decode Econ breaks down how the economy affects everyday life, from coffee prices to policy decisions. Hosted by Dr. Abdullah Al Bahrani, an economist and educator, the show makes economics personal and practical. Each episode explores trends behind headlines such as inflation, jobs, technology, and policy. Through stories, data, and conversations with experts and community leaders, listeners stay informed.

Episodes

What Students Bring to Day One, with Brandon Sheridan
What Students Bring to Day One, with Brandon Sheridan Oct 10, 2026 00:39:19 ABOUT THIS EPISODEBrandon Sheridan is back on the show. In August, he told us the economy was moving sideways. A month and a half later, I asked him if anything had changed. Short answer: not much.Then we got into the conversation I've wanted to have with him for a while: his new paper, with 25 coauthors, on what students bring to the first day of an economics class. If you teach economics, th
It's a Cold Labor Market
It's a Cold Labor Market Oct 4, 2026 00:44:37 Here’s my takeaway up front: in this job market, you have to prove yourself more than ever.Friday’s jobs report was the last one before the midterm elections, and it was boring. Boring the way a cold labor market is boring. Nobody is getting laid off in big waves. Nobody is getting hired either.This week on the Decode Econ podcast, Dr. Jeni Al-Bahrani joins me to talk about what that looks like on
Is Econ Worth It? What do econ majors do and what do they earn?
Is Econ Worth It? What do econ majors do and what do they earn? Sep 26, 2026 00:37:41 This week on the Decode Econ Podcast, I sat down with Matt Holian, an economics professor at San Jose State. When Matt was department chair, he needed an honest answer to the question every recruiter gets: what jobs do econ majors actually get? He went looking for the data. Subscribe nowUsing Census microdata, Matt and his coauthor Kevin Chiu tracked mid-career econ grads (ages 35 to 45, bachelor’
How Studying Abroad Changes the Way You See Economics
How Studying Abroad Changes the Way You See Economics Sep 20, 2026 00:34:38 In a classroom, I can teach you how the world is supposed to work. Study abroad shows you how it actually works. Dr. Darshak Patel joins me to talk about taking students to Kenya to watch a universal basic income program up close, and why he would rather learn a new country alongside his students than teach one he already knows.Darshak is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Ke
Development Economics: Micro vs Macro
Development Economics: Micro vs Macro Sep 14, 2026 00:45:20 Development economics explained simply: what's the difference between the macro and micro sides of the field?Development economics sounds like a topic for "somewhere else." It's not.In my latest Decode Econ conversation, I sat down with two economists who study the same big question — how economies, and the people inside them, actually develop — from completely different altitude
AI in the Classroom: One Professor's Radical Teaching Experiment
AI in the Classroom: One Professor's Radical Teaching Experiment Sep 7, 2026 00:43:48 No homework. No midterms. No final exam. In this episode of Decode Econ, I sit down with Dr. Shishir Shakya, an economist at Appalachian State University, who redesigned his entire econometrics and statistics courses around one question: what happens if we stop preparing students for the job market of 2022 and start preparing them for 2028?We get into:Why he cut his curriculum down to the "absolut
The Economics of Entrepreneurship
The Economics of Entrepreneurship Aug 30, 2026 00:50:15 Startups just had a record funding quarter — $285 billion in Q1 2026. Here's what the headline doesn't tell you: 43% of that went to one company's raise, and the rest of the money is piling into AI. So if you're a student founder building anything else, what does "record year" actually mean for you?I sat down with Dr. Jeni Al Bahrani, who teaches entrepreneurship at Miami University's Farmer Schoo
Bond Market Warning Signs Explained By Miami Professor Ej Ume
Bond Market Warning Signs Explained By Miami Professor Ej Ume Aug 24, 2026 00:40:04 The bond market has been sending us warning signs. I sat down with Monetary Economist EJ Ume from Miami University’s Farmer School of Business to explain what is happening and what it means to you. If you don’t already do so, make sure to connect with EJ on LinkedIn. We would love to hear your thoughts on this conversation. Here is what we discussedEJ walks through three forces pushing long-term y
You can't cut taxes and raise spending forever— Brandon Sheridan and Abdullah Al Bahrani
You can't cut taxes and raise spending forever— Brandon Sheridan and Abdullah Al Bahrani Aug 16, 2026 00:47:41 Is the economy stalled, or are we about to hit a wall? Dr. Abdullah Al-Bahrani and Elon University's Dr. Brandon Sheridan break down a week of noisy data — and land on the one number nobody's talking about: you can't cut taxes and raise spending forever. Something gives.In this episode:01:12 — Why Brandon calls the economy "moving sideways," and what 1.5% GDP growth is hiding
Should the Fed provide forward guidance?
Should the Fed provide forward guidance? Aug 9, 2026 00:27:28 In this conversation, Jack Marx and Dr. Al Bahrani discuss the Federal Reserve and the recent changes being proposed by Fed Chair Kevin Warsh. Jack and Dr. A have different views on what the correct approach is for the Fed. The discussion centers around the frequency of FOMC meetings and the importance of forward guidance. Check out the YouTube conversation or find us on the podcast platform of yo
ClaudeFishing- Will this be the death of the newsletter?
ClaudeFishing- Will this be the death of the newsletter? Aug 3, 2026 00:06:49 Last week, Substack released a new feature to detect AI-written text. They partnered with Pangram to let readers scan a post and see how much of it is AI-generated. I both love and hate this update, and I want to share my views with you.As I read it, they’re attempting to solve for two problems: the rise of AI slop, and reader trust. Both are real concerns. However, there is a big difference betwe
Learning Economics at a Startup
Learning Economics at a Startup Jul 26, 2026 00:34:17 Decode Econ is a startup. Our goal is to help you see the economy clearly — and your place in it. It is a media firm with a mission to improve economic understanding. It is fun building it and seeing its impact, but the biggest joy is in working with the team that makes this work possible. I love working with young professionals and current students. They bring energy and creativity, and in return

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