According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Minnesota gained 11,000 jobs in March, making this the “sixth straight month that Minnesota has seen job growth.” Moreover,…
The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced this week that inflation rose by 8.5 percent in the year to March. This is the fastest annual rate of increase since December 1981.…
On Tuesday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announced that inflation was 1.2 percent in March and 8.5 percent over the year (for the Midwest the figures were 1.3 percent and 8.6 percent, respectively).…
State and local taxes and spending KPVI: House passes Minnesota Renter’s Credit, but future in Senate remains in doubt Fox 9: $500 rebate checks left out as Minnesota House, Senate…
One thing that has characterized the pandemic has been a shortage of workers. To that, numerous businesses have raised wages in order to attract workers. The latest is Walmart, which…
Are people greedier here? Recently, I had an op-ed in the Star Tribune arguing that the high housing costs we face in Minnesota are not a problem, but rather a…
St. Paul’s rent control ordinance is set to take effect beginning May 1. Yet there is no shortage of evidence showing how disastrous the ordinance has been. Housing permits are…
In March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the Consumer Price Index had risen by 7.9% over the previous year, the fastest year-on-year rate since January 1982. Stripping out volatile…
Econ 101 has been getting bad rap the last few years. The time when Freakonomics was the book to be seen reading if you wanted to look smart is long past, and…
Labor market Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal: State hits lowest unemployment rate in 20 years as more Minnesotans go back to work MPR News: Unemployment rate falls, labor market tightens Duluth…
In a puzzling statement when he was running for the presidency, now President Joe Biden said “Milton Friedman isn’t running the show anymore.” Quite what he meant by that is anyone’s guess,…
In 2021, Minnesota’s population grew by just 225 people, losing 13,453 residents to other states. This was Minnesota’s biggest net loss of domestic migrants to other states in at least…
The value of a dollar is what it can buy you. In economics, this is referred to as purchasing power. A dollar is worth more if it can buy you…
Minnesotans are getting back into the workforce. According to new numbers, Minnesota’s unemployment rate in February was the lowest in decades. And fortunately, this is due to people moving into…
State and local taxes and spending Star Tribune: Gov. Tim Walz proposes bigger rebate checks as surplus grows Kare 11: Gov. Walz unveils revised Minnesota state budget Knox Radio: MN…
The rate of year-over-year inflation in the United States hit a 40-year high of 7.9 percent in February. In the Midwest, the rate was a touch higher at 8.0 percent, driven in…
Broad agreement exists that we suffer an affordable housing crisis in Minnesota — especially in the Twin Cities. The cause is no mystery. Affordable housing is scarce here because state…
During the pandemic, people made calls for the cancellation of student debt. However, the best that President Joe Biden could offer was putting a pause on loan payments. These calls…
Last week, I testified in front of the Senate Committee on Housing Finance and Policy in support of SF 3259. This bill would give cities the ability to impose both…
State and local taxes and spending MPR News: GOP pushes to end taxes on Social Security, but many don’t pay them KNSI: Deal to Stop Minnesota’s Business Tax Increase Remains…
The rate of year-over-year inflation in the United States hit a 40 year high in February. The rate of increase was higher in the Midwest than it was for the…
The rent control ordinance passed in St. Paul last November is having exactly the consequences that were predicted before it was passed. If you set a price below a market…
The consequences of St. Paul’s rent control policy continue to pile up. While Mayor Melvin Carter is looking for a way to amend the policy, numbers show that construction has…
State and local taxes and spending St. Cloud Times: Minnesota needs to end tax on Social Security: Letter The Center Square: How Much Minnesota Homeowners Pay in Property Taxes Each…