Skip to main content
28Oct

How to help left behind regions and workers

Hosted by the Phelan United States Centre as part of the Wenger Distinguished Lectures
In-person and online public event (LSE campus, venue tbc to ticketholders)
Tuesday 28 Oct 2025 6.30pm - 8pm

The decline of manufacturing and the acceleration of technological disruption have concentrated joblessness in distressed regions and blocked many workers from access to good jobs. In this lecture Gordon Hanson addresses the origins of job loss, the reasons for its geographic concentration, and what we’ve learned about policies intended to help left-behind places.

Meet our speaker and chair

Gordon Hanson (@gordon_h_hanson) is the Peter Wertheim Professor in Urban Policy and Academic Dean for Strategy and Engagement at Harvard Kennedy School. He is best known for his research on the labour market consequences of globalisation, including pioneering work on the China trade shock. Hanson’s current research examines regional job loss, the effectiveness of place-based policies in alleviating regional economic distress, and how the energy transition will affect local labour markets.

Peter Trubowitz (@ptrubowitz) is Professor of International Relations, and Director of the Phelan US Centre at LSE and Associate Fellow at Chatham House, Royal Institute of International Affairs.

More about this event

Join us on campus or register to watch the event online at LSE Live. LSE Live is the home for our live streams, allowing you to tune in and join the global debate at LSE, wherever you are in the world. If you can't attend live, a video will be made available shortly afterwards on LSE's YouTube channel.

This event is a Wenger Distinguished Lecture 2025-26.

The (@LSE_US) is a hub for global expertise, analysis and commentary on America.

Hashtag for this event: #LSEEvents

Join our mailing list

Sign up to receive email updates from LSE Events including the latest news and event announcements.

From time to time there are changes to event details so we strongly recommend that if you plan to attend this event you check back on this listing on the day of the event.

LSE holds a wide range of events, covering many of the most controversial issues of the day, and speakers at our events may express views that cause offence. The views expressed by speakers at LSE events do not reflect the position or views of the London School of Economics and Political Science.