Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff

Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a weekly nationally syndicated program produced by Democracy at Work and hosted by Richard D. Wolff. The program explores complex economic issues and empowers listeners with information to analyze not only their own financial situation but the economy at large. Beyond focusing a critical eye on the economic dimensions of everyday life - wages, jobs, taxes, debts, interest rates, prices, and profits - the program also explores systemic solutions to our economy's problems including alternative ways to organize production and distribution of the goods and services we all depend on.

Democracy at Work is a non-profit 501(c)3 that advocates for worker cooperatives and democratic workplaces as a key path to a different, stronger, democratic economic system. Generous contributions made from subscribers like you make our work possible. Economic Update is a collaborative effort, brought to you each week by the hard work and dedication of a team of workers. Your subscriptions fees help cover the cost of salaries and production costs. We are truly grateful for your support.

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DSA Revives Socialism in U.S. Politics

Aug 11, 2026

This week on Economic Update, Professor Wolff delivers updates on new U.S. government rules that are universally hostile to international students, the reduction of prosecutions for white collar crime by the U.S. Justice Department while increasing pressures on Shawn Fain, head of the powerful United Auto Workers union,...

The Great Shift of Economic Thought from Macro to Micro

Aug 3, 2026

The rational approach is to ask which works better in an industry or to meet any social need: private enterprise or government enterprise. It is irrational and dogmatic to think only one or the other is allowed. For 100 years we have wasted time debating which is good and which bad. It’s time to move on. Let’s talk...

A Critique of Profit

Jul 27, 2026

This week on Economic Update, Professor Wolff devotes the entire show to a critical analysis of profit. The point is to show that it is a very biased way to look at capitalist economies and a biased way to make investment decisions. Both biases are shown to be deeply undemocratic.

We hope you enjoy this discussion and...

U.S. Housing Crisis Deepens

Jul 20, 2026

This week on Economic Update, Professor Wolff presents updates on the Australian dockworkers’ union's fight against A.I., the German auto workers’ fight against VW layoffs, Private Suites running private terminals for rich U.S. flyers, and Bayer/Monsanto profiting by manipulating U.S. farmers’ organizations. The...

Markets: Institutions Deeply In Need of Criticism

Jul 13, 2026

This week on Economic Update, Professor Wolff presents an analysis of how markets work, which parts of society they favor and serve, and which they discriminate against. He also unpacks why markets are NOT the same as capitalism, and where markets are NOT allowed to exist in the world today, including in the U.S. He...