To the members of the American Economic Association:

The American Economic Association is releasing the final detailed results (https://www.aeaweb.org/resources/member-docs/final-climate-survey-results-sept-2019) from its survey of current and former members about the professional climate in economics, conducted under the auspices of the AEA's recently created standing Committee on Equity, Diversity, and Professional Conduct (CEDPC). In contrast to the summary report released in March, this extensive report includes statistical analyses, a review of open-ended survey questions, and some comparisons with the findings of other professional surveys.  What remains evident is that many members of the economics profession have suffered harassment and discrimination during their careers, including both overt acts of abuse and more subtle forms of marginalization.

The leadership of the American Economic Association, including our colleagues on the AEA Executive Committee, takes these issues extremely seriously. Several steps have already been taken to address them as part of an ongoing process, and we continue to listen and take further steps in an effort to improve the profession. We are committed to helping make economics fully accessible and welcoming to anyone with the interest and ability to make a career in the field. We ask for the support of all AEA members in this effort.

Feedback on these initiatives is welcome and encouraged through EconSpark. To comment, you will need to login or register.


Signed,

Ben Bernanke, AEA president
Janet Yellen, AEA president-elect
Olivier Blanchard, immediate past AEA president