The vast burden of federal regulations is well known. But what's the picture at state level?
The pace of technological change is such that the skills you have at 20 are likely to be obsolete halfway through your working life. To keep pace, education must become…
Keith Ellison has been a vocal supporter of the campaign to raise the minimum wage to $15. Sadly, he won't put his money where his mouth is.
The number of Metro Area cities still in the liquor business continues to decline, the result of stiffer than ever competition. Many “munis” find it difficult to compete on a level…
Once again, evidence shows what theory predicts. Raising the price of something, in this case labor, increases the demand for substitutes, in this case machines.
GDP per person is what matters for the economic well-being of Minnesotans. An immigration policy focused on increasing that will have to prioritize skilled immigrants
The State of Minnesota’s revenue in July fell “well below government forecasts”, continuing a trend that has gone on for several months. Governor Dayton naturally focused on the extremely modest…
Steven Hayward calls it a “stopped clock moment” but in his latest New York Times column Thomas Friedman basically comes out as agreeing with key parts of the Trump agenda. …
Policymakers who see immigration as a tool to boost economic growth need to focus on skills
It's often said that the evidence in the minimum wage debate is clear. And it is.
Labor demand is growing in Minnesota causing wages to rise. Apparently, this is a crisis.
For years we’ve been told the state needs to throw tens of millions of taxpayer dollars at providing high-speed internet access to rural areas. Along the way, private providers have often…
Data on metropolitan areas shows Minnesota's economic performance is increasingly mediocre
Some argue that there are goods and services which must by paid for by taxation simply because a particular group of people likes them. There is little merit in this…
In recent years, Wisconsin’s job growth has rapidly outpaced Minnesota’s. And that was before the announcement of one of the biggest development projects in years, Foxconn’s first-ever expansion into the…
'Public goods' are a staple of taxation theory. But some public goods aren't so public after all
Newly released emails show that Seattle's city council worked with the supposedly independent authors of a study which concluded that its $15 minimum wage had not hurt low paid workers.
The Federation of State Medical Boards released their latest biennial report on the number of doctors licensed to practice medicine in American in 2016. Assuming having more doctors is a…
Why do so many Minnesotans agree with the project's goal so eagerly?
Minnesota's famously varied weather probably accounts for much of the state's growth pattern. But the extremes are driven by events beyond the state's control
Finding workers for hard-to-fill skilled jobs is one of the toughest challenges that Minnesota’s small- to medium-sized employers face. Fortunately, a revolutionary new on-line search tool—the RealTime Talent Exchange—now gives…
Up in Stacy, Minnesota, the Tapani sisters—Lori and Traci—are blazing a trail in workforce development. The two are the co-owners and co-presidents of Wyoming Machine. This spring, the Tapanis won…
June's employment report is a step in the right direction for Minnesota's workforce
The urgent need for skilled workers is one of the greatest challenges that businesses in fields like manufacturing, construction and energy face. One new pool they are increasingly tapping is…