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Data from past decade shows Minnesota’s economy is productive, diverse and innovative
Minnesota’s economy has seen a lot of changes in the past few years. The pandemic and resulting disruptions stress-tested the resiliency of our economy, causing massive shifts in capital investment and labor movement. Given the tumult, it is an opportune time to examine the strengths and weaknesses of Minnesota’s economy. Minnesota lawmakers and business leaders […]
Millennials are the largest workforce and the least wealthy — why?
In 2016, Millennials became the largest cohort of the American workforce, defined as those working between the ages of 16-64. What is most striking about the demographic changes in the workforce is the amount of wealth accumulated among each successive generation. It turns out that the Millennials — again, the largest of the four working […]
Analysis: The Great Recession vs. the pandemic recession — women are getting the worst of it
We can already see parallels between the COVID-19 recession and the Great Recession that followed the housing crisis and financial crisis of 2008-09. The Great Recession caused a severe disruption in consumer spending, private investment, stress on government budgets and, most importantly, jobs. The pandemic recession looks as if it’s headed in the same direction. […]
Why the eviction moratorium is so important for the Minnesota economy
Gov. Tim Walz has continued to extend a ban on evictions resulting from non-payment. The most recent executive order, which became effective August 4th, prohibits evictions except in cases in which tenants have caused significant damage to the property or are performing illegal activities, or if the owner needs the property for personal or family […]
Analysis: Blue collar workers in service and other industries bearing the economic brunt of the pandemic
As Congress considers another COVID-19 relief package, let’s hope lawmakers realize whose fortunes are most at risk from the pandemic and the economic pain it’s caused. Broadly speaking, it’s people on the bottom half of the income ladder. The pandemic has divided the American economy into two groups, and for the most part their fortunes […]
Analysis: Data show the crippling effects of the pandemic on small business
We know small businesses are getting hit hardest by the economic fallout from COVID-19. How bad is it? We’re still a little in the dark because so many of these small companies have simply vanished. They are not responding to surveys as they usually would from governments, chambers of commerce and trade associations. But from […]
The best economic solution: A check in every account. This is a great time to start a universal basic income program.
Minnesota’s economy is about to get walloped because so many workers can’t do their jobs at home. Jobs which require a physical presence, like retail and food service, will mostly be without income for the foreseeable future. To make matters worse, workers in these industries are the least likely to have significant savings or financial […]
Education amendment highlights racial disparities: A look at the data
A bipartisan group of lawmakers proposed an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution Tuesday that would mandate that “all children have a fundamental right to a quality public education.” The proposed amendment is the brainchild of former Supreme Court Justice Alan Page and Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari. Minnesota has “some of the worse educational […]