Boston Fed Economist Says Massachusetts' Economic Woes May Be An 'Unfortunate Harbinger' For Rest Of The Country

In the Great Recession of 2009, eastern Massachusetts industries proved resilient, by and large. But today's economic crisis, driven by the coronavirus pandemic, looks very different from the one a decade ago.

To help us understand why, WBUR spoke to Jeffrey Thompson, a vice president and economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, and director of the New England Public Policy Center.

Thompson co-authored a living report on 'The Economic Fallout of the COVID-19 Pandemic in New England' — updated as recently as May 11. He says that New England's economic woes may be an "unfortunate harbinger" for the rest of the country.