In 2004 Michigan Future published a report on knowledge-based states having higher per capita income than manufacturing-based states. The data showed that the most prosperous states––other than states with lots of oil and natural gas––had four common characteristics: Over concentration…
As we have explored previously (see here, here and here), Kansas tried and failed to grow their economy through big tax cuts. In fact what they got was the exact opposite, arguably the worst state economic performance since the end…
In a recent Detroit Free Press op ed John Austin writes about a Michigan Future report he and I worked on entitled Revitalizing Michigan's Central Cites: A Vision and Framework for Action. The report was published in 2003. As John…
What is most disturbing about the "we should be like the South" mantra is that, by and large, these are the lowest education attainment states in the country. Most of those who advocate becoming like the South also say that…
Why spend so much time on Mississippi? Because Michigan needs to get on a new path. And one of the ways of identifying that path is to look at states that are doing well now and/or positioned to do well…
The folks at dbusiness gave me a great opportunity to do a long essay on our prescription for improving the Michigan economy. You can read it here. The article went to print before the new 2008 state data came out on both per capita income and college education attainment.
So here are the latest data. The first table is the top ten states in per capita income. The story is the same as in the article: two paths to prosperity. High energy prices for Wyoming and Alaska. And strong knowledge-based employment and earnings, driven by high college attainment for the other eight.
The second table is for the states that lots of folks argue Michigan should be like. Same story in 08 as 07. Michigan would be better off if it were more like Minnesota than Alabama, North Carolina or Indiana.
