Officially over in 2009, the Great Recession is now generally acknowledged to be the most devastating global economic crisis since the Great Depression. The charts in these sections, taken from The Great Recession (New York: Russell Sage, 2011) and Coping with Crisis (New York: Russell Sage, 2012), detail trends in unemployment, safety net expenditures, changes in political attitudes and more.
Responses to the Crisis
How did governments around the world respond to the financial crisis and its effects? These charts, taken from Coping With Crisis: Government Reactions to the Great Recession (New York: Russell Sage, 2012), offer unmatched analyses of economic conditions and policy decisions in the industrialized world during the Great Recession.
The Housing Bubble
This section analyzes the mortgage and housing price trends that preceded the 2008 crash, as well as the financial innovations that reshaped America's housing market. Source: Neil Fligstein and Adam Goldstein. "The Roots of the Great Recession." The Great Recession. Eds. David Grusky, Bruce Western and Christopher Wimer. New York: Russell Sage, 2011. 21-55.
Unemployment
The level and duration of unemployment has been a defining feature of the Great Recession. This section looks at unemployment trends for different groups between 1967 and 2011. Source: Michael Hout, Asaf Levanon, and Erin Cumberworth. "Job Loss and Unemployment." The Great Recession. Eds. David Grusky, Bruce Western and Christopher Wimer. New York: Russell Sage, 2011. 59-81.
Poverty Rates
This section looks at the poverty rate in America and how it has shifted in times of economic distress. Source: Timothy Smeeding, Jeffrey Thompson, Asaf Levanon, and Esra Burak. "Poverty and Income Inequality in the Early Stages of the Great Recession." The Great Recession. Eds. David Grusky, Bruce Western and Christopher Wimer. New York: Russell Sage, 2011. 83-126.
The Safety Net
This section examines unemployment insurance in America, as well as the stimulus program adopted in early 2009. Source: Gary Burtless and Tracy Gordon. "The Federal Stimulus Programs and Their Effects." The Great Recession. Eds. David Grusky, Bruce Western and Christopher Wimer. New York: Russell Sage, 2011. 249-293.
Public Attitudes
Have Americans' political attitudes changed since the 2008 financial crash? This section's data measures how the public views business, government and the political parties. Source: Lane Kenworthy and Lindsay A. Owens. "The Surprisingly Weak Effect of Recessions on Public Opinion." The Great Recession. Eds. David Grusky, Bruce Western and Christopher Wimer. New York: Russell Sage, 2011. 83-126.
The Loss of Wealth
The current recession is particularly notable for its enormous destruction of wealth. These charts look at Americans' housing wealth, consumer debt and bankruptcy filings. Source: Edward N. Wolff, Lindsay A. Owens, and Esra Burak. "How Much Wealth Was Destroyed in the Great Recession?". The Great Recession. Eds. David Grusky, Bruce Western and Christopher Wimer. New York: Russell Sage, 2011. 127-158.
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