For the first time ever Michigan is a low-prosperity state with a strong domestic auto industry. The recovery from the Great Recession has produced lots of jobs. Which is good news indeed. But in terms of the economic well-being of…
First came news about Foxconn not building a 13,000 employee manufacturing plant in Wisconsin. Then the next day came stories that they were going to continue with plans to build the manufacturing facility. Who know what will finally happen. What…
We continue to be constantly barraged with messages that for many not pursuing a four-year degree is the best course of action. Some version of if you don't get a BA in a STEM field you are at high risk…
In a previous post we quoted Republican United States Senator Marco Rubio on the need for an American economy that provides more middle class jobs. In an article for the Atlantic Rubio entitled America Needs to Restore Dignity of Work,…
I'm sure some of you are asking yourself "what does cosmetology schools have to do with crushing student loans?". The preeminent story––which we are told over and over again by the media and way too many of our business and…
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans' column for The PuLSE Institute entitled Michigan needs long-term poverty policy is worth reading. Both in its call for making attacking poverty a priority and for taking on the conventional wisdom about the causes of…
Despite warning signs at the end of the year, 2018 was a very good year for the Michigan and the nation’s economy. But the strong economy––characterized by low unemployment and strong growth––was accompanied by 40 percent of Michigan households not…
As we all now know Amazon picked New York City and the northern Virginia inner ring suburbs of Washington D.C. for their HQ2. Both characterized by high concentrations of those with four-year degrees or more and extensive transit systems. As we…
Recent bond reports from Moody's on Ford and the city of Detroit should be setting off alarm bells. Both reports paint a picture of the Michigan economy far different that the celebratory tone of most Michigan policy makers and business…
A recent Detroit Free Press article entitled GM's job cuts shift to a new kind of worker needed is worth checking out. It is a pretty dramatic example of the reality that––even for those with STEM degrees (in this case engineers)––the…