Why Pittsburgh is booming
We have written frequently (most recently here and here) about Pittsburgh as Exhibit A for how so-called Rust Belt regions can return to prosperity. The basic recipe: make the transition from a factory-driven to a knowledge-driven economy largely by retaining and attracting talent. The New York Times––in the Fashion and Style section of all places––provides […]
Not investing is not an option
The policy agenda we released in April is built around public investment. Years of cuts to our education system, our cities, to public services, and to our social safety net have placed a drag on the economy and lowered living standards for Michiganders. To put Michigan on a path to prosperity, public investment is required. […]
A decade of change in employment by occupation group
The table below displays changes in employment nationally by the minimum education requirement for occupations as calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor. Its the same database we wrote about in our exploration of the reality of good-paying jobs that do not require a four-year degree. What stands out are the first column and the […]
Accelerating an American caste system
Readers of our latest report know that we very much agree with Robert Putnam’s framing, in his book Our Kids, of the basic economic division in American now being class, where class is increasingly defined by college attainment. That top quartile families––most with at least one adult with a four-year degree or more––are doing well economically. […]
Where Do College-Educated Millennials Live–and What Should Michigan Do About It?
In Lou’s work with Michigan Future, he has argued for years—and argues again in our recent report—that Michigan needs to come to grips with the fact that a prosperous state economy isn’t driven anymore by lots of low-skilled manufacturing work, or even traditional business development. It’s driven by talent. The high-wage jobs and innovative companies […]
Inferior education for others’ kids
Governor Snyder and State Superintendent Whiston recently announced a major initiative to emphasize occupational training in high school. At the same time the New York Times published an article on the efforts by technology industry billionaires to make coding a foundation skill required for all K-12 students. Both are part of a broader effort by […]
The skilled trades and six-figure salaries
In just about any discussion on college access, someone will at some point mention the skilled trades. “Let’s not forget about the skilled trades,” they’ll say. “There’s such demand, and you can make six figures as a welder or electrician!” Because of the prevalence of this idea – both that there are a lot of […]