Since 2015, Minnesota has fallen from the top of CNBCs ranking of America's Top States for Business to 6th this year, down three spots from 2017. The fall was driven…
With assurances, Minnesotans embrace mining.
It is true that "High skills = High wages". But this means that we need to increase skill levels if we want wages to increase, not have politicians simply issue…
'Magical thinking' is where we say something is true not because we know it to be true but because we want it to be true. While this might make us…
A round-up of the last week’s economic news stories in Minnesota.
Minnesota ranks 8th nationally for its reliance on individual income taxes as a source of state and local tax revenues. But this source of revenue - compared to sales and…
In terms of a 'Border Battle', Minnesota's minimum wage hikes have raised wages for some workers relative to Wisconsin, but they have also lead to less employment in restaurants and…
Recently, I had the pleasure of addressing a meeting in Mankato hosted by the Heritage Foundation on the subject of trade and its role in Minnesota's economy. I argued that,…
A round-up of the last week’s economic news stories in Minnesota.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the employment-participation rate for 16- to 19-year-olds in Minnesota fell from 69.8 percent in 2000 to 52.3 percent in 2016, a decline of…
[Photo Source: Big Lake Schools] “Signing Day” has taken on a whole new meaning at Big Lake High School in Big Lake, Minnesota. Under the leadership of Principal Bob Dockendorf,…
Last week, the Supreme Court handed down its much anticipated decision in the case of South Dakota v. Wayfair. It might sound dull, but it will have a big impact in Minnesota.…
A round-up of the last week’s economic news stories in Minnesota.
What do you do if you’re a civic leader whose town has great jobs, but not enough people who want to live there? How about paying people to move to…
In today’s super-tight labor market, employers are increasingly turning to teen-aged workers to fill the gaps in their labor force. The Wall Street Journal highlighted this trend—and the surprising successes…
[Photo Source: TCH] Twin City Hardware (TCH) is one of many Minnesota companies that has struggled to find qualified workers. But in the last few years, the Oakdale-based manufacturer of…
What did the President say at the mining and trade roundtable in Duluth yesterday? Click here to find out.
I am not at all unsympathetic to hungry kids if they have incompetent and/or neglectful parents. But this is not a proper expenditure or activity for any public school. Period.…
In recent decades, wealth inequality in the United States has risen. One commonly touted solution is a wealth tax. But the story of property taxes in northern Minnesota illustrates the…
A round-up of the last week’s economic news stories in Minnesota.
PolyMet Mining Co. this morning said it has received notice from the U.S. Forest Service that the land exchange for the company's proposed mine north of Hoyt Lakes will officially…
Gov. Dayton's veto of the tax bill means higher taxes and more complexity for Minnesotans next tax season. He will have left office by then, but, as you're struggling with…
What is it about working with one’s hands that can be so satisfying, even joyous in quiet ways? Here are four satisfying, even joyous excerpts from Making It Right: The…
Next year Minnesotans will have to fill out a 2018 federal income tax form, a Minnesota-only tax form based on the old federal tax code, and a Minnesota tax form.…