Economic lessons from the pandemic
The call to action we co-authored with economic and community development leaders from across the state was released just prior to the pandemic slamming Michigan. It calls on our state, regional and community leaders to make rising household income for all a preeminent priority of state and local economic policies and programs. To make the […]
Recommended reading on the economy and education
For those of you looking for something to read, other than about the coronavirus, here is a list of books about the economy and education that have been the most helpful in our understanding of the realities of how people earn a living today and likely tomorrow; what skills are most important to doing well […]
Our Detroit News op ed
The Detroit News recently published an op ed I co-authored with Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber, and David Meador, vice chairman and chief administrative officer of DTE Energy. All three of us are also co-authors of the Rising Income For All call to action. Our News op ed makes the […]
The market says college is relevant
I am a long-time fan of Kettering University. Particularly their integration of learning and work with their one semester at school followed by one semester working in the industry the student is preparing for. Having said that I could not disagree more with Kettering’s President Robert McMahan when he says in a Bridge interview: At […]
Michigan Future’s most-read blogs
Month after month, year after year, there are four most-read blogs. All have in common an exploration of the skills and occupations that are most rewarded in today’s labor market. That those skills are not occupation specific, but rather broader career rock climbing skills. And that the careers most rewarded are professional and managerial, not […]
The competitiveness case for higher Michigan taxes
Dug Song, co-founder and general manager of Duo Security, in an interview with Crain’s Detroit Business, makes the case for higher Michigan taxes. Higher Michigan taxes to invest in education and transit. The two assets that Song believes Michigan needs most to be competitive for companies like his. Crain’s writes: Top of mind for the […]
How to improve community college completion rates
By and large across Michigan and the country community college completion rates are quite low. As detailed in Redesigning America’s Community Colleges this largely is a result of how community colleges are designed. For ease of access, not completion. Redesigning America’s Community Colleges, as we have explored previously, lays out a detailed playbook on how […]
Technology driving wages down in the hospitality industry
The hospitality industry is characterized by lots of low-wage workers. E. Tammy Kim, in a New York Times column entitled The Gig Economy is Coming For Your Job, writes about how technology is allowing the hospitality industry to use gig workers to increase the number of low-wage workers. She writes: … The doormen and bellmen […]
The economy is producing way too many low-wage jobs
Readers of this blog know that at Michigan Future we believe the mission of economic policy should be income based, not employment or economic growth based. The reality is you do not have a good economy––no mater how low the unemployment rate or how high the economic growth rate or stock market––when 43 percent of […]
Outsmarting the robots recommended media
We provided participants in our education redesign conference, Outsmarting the Robots with a list of recommended reading, podcast and video. We wanted to share those recommendations more broadly. The list was assembled to include media we found interesting about the nature of work, today and tomorrow, as well as the kind of education/youth development that […]