Economics reporter da Costa joins Economic Policy Institute

The Economic Policy Institute has hired economics journalist Pedro Nicolai da Costa as the institute’s new communications director.

Da Costa has been writing about economics and financial markets since 2001, at Reuters, the Wall Street Journal, and Business Insider. He was a fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics from 2014 to 2016. His work has focused on issues close to EPI’s mission: labor markets, Federal Reserve policy, inequality and race.

In 2010, da Costa co-authored “Cozy Ties at Club Fed,” a report that prompted the central bank to adopt a more transparent communications policy that includes regular post-meeting press conferences with the Fed chair. His reporting on the failure of some academic economists to disclose financial industry ties resulted in the American Economics Association’s adoption of a new code of conduct. Both articles received journalism awards.

“I am delighted to welcome Pedro to the EPI team,” said EPI President Thea Lee in a statement. “For years, he has been an important voice in the economic discourse—and his deep knowledge of economics and passion for creating a more equitable economy will be tremendous assets to EPI.”

Da Costa studied sociology and political science as an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, and earned his master’s in international relations from the University of California in San Diego.