"Incentives do make a difference". So said Governor Mark Dayton recently, discussing what state governments can do to attract investment. And that is particularly the case in the United States,…
A round-up of the last week’s economic news stories in Minnesota
American Experiment Economist John Phelan argues for mining jobs and against jerks.
Phelan tells the legislature that Minnesota’s economy is slumping down to the average.
The Legislative Auditor criticizes DEED’s fund for failure to show results.
When assessing the employment impact of renewable energy in Minnesota, we must take into account not just what is 'seen', the 6,200 jobs int creates, but also what is 'not…
Industry expert to headline American Experiment forum about the future of jobs.
Minnesota's corporate tax rate is the third highest in the United States. For the sake of future economic growth, we should hope that Rep. Joe McDonald's bill proposing a modest…
The supply of and demand for middle-skill workers has created a mismatch in our labor market. The “skills gap” is real, and employers are coming up with their own solutions…
Between 2000 and 2017, increased transfer payments accounted for 48% of the increase in Minnesota's per capita personal income. This trend-also seen at the national level-is unsustainable.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics gives the lie to the notion that there are lots of breadwinners trying to raise families on the minimum wage, especially in Minnesota.
A round-up of the last week’s economic news stories in Minnesota
Governor Mark Dayton recently unveiled his proposal for Minnesota's state budget. On Wednesday, Morgan Scarboro of the Tax Foundation gave her take on it.
The push for all high school graduates to earn a four-year baccalaureate degree over other post-secondary pathways has resulted in employers struggling to find workers with in-demand technical skills. Vocational…
As we commented last week, January's job numbers contained good and bad news for Minnesota. Watchdog.org's Michael Carroll looks at some of the responses.
Question. When it’s written or said that a person has taken out, say, $30,000 in student loans, is it usually assumed that $30,000 is the total to be paid back,…
The federal tax bill provides states with an additional revenue buffer and an incentive to compete for additional domestic investment expected under the new law. States are already adjusting their tax…
In his final state of the state address last week, Gov. Dayton sought to take credit for Minnesota's economic achievements. But the evidence suggests that the credit really belongs to…
A round-up of the last week’s economic news stories in Minnesota
Among other things, Ireland is famous for its stories. The story of the Irish economy in the last 30 years highlights the importance of sound fiscal and monetary policy and…
Minnesota is one of only eight states to have an Alternative Minimum Tax for its corporations. This is more hassle than it worth and we recommended its repeal in our…
Raelee Nicholson is a top student in Charleroi Area High School south of Pittsburgh. She recently scored in the 88th percentile on her college board exams. But Raelee wants to…
States that are “moving the needle” on their workforce development challenges have one thing in common: They are focused on exciting and innovative “work-based learning” initiatives.
A legally mandated $15 dollar minimum wage is a harmful solution to what is increasingly a non-problem as wages rise in Minnesota.