Upjohn Institute

AI exposure and the future of work

AI exposure does not equal displacement. The future of work depends on whether AI substitutes for or complements human expertise. Read more in a new report from Upjohn Institute’s Erik Vasilauskas and @mikehorrigan.bsky.social #AI #econsky
www.upjohn.org/research-hig...

New Hires Quality Index holds steady, even as men see a rebound

The Upjohn Institute's New Hires Quality Index held at $22.15/hr, tying the 2025 high. But hiring volume slipped — down 0.3% from July, and 2.6% year over year. And men have regained ground. www.upjohn.org/news/new-hir...

BLS payroll-data revisions deserve scrutiny, but the concern isn’t manipulation. It’s what the size of those revisions may be telling us about weakening labor markets & the need to modernize data collection. Analysis by Upjohn's @mikehorrigan.bsky.social
www.upjohn.org/bls-revision...
#econsky

The Upjohn Institute has studied tuition-free college programs for 20 years, starting with the Kalamazoo Promise in 2005. This work informed a movement that now includes 200+ programs. Read how research, collaboration and expertise helped inform this movement. #EduSky

www.upjohn.org/twenty-years...

The report was authored for @peerresearch.bsky.social at @americanuniversity.bsky.social

The report was written for the @peerresearch.bsky.social at American University.

Grads on the go: why mobility complicates college accountability

Measuring a college's value? It's more complicated than you think. A new study co-authored by Upjohn Institute's @bradhershbein.bsky.social reveals how graduates mobility - and where they end up - can skew traditional college accountability metrics.
www.upjohn.org/research-hig...

Tourism generates $1.6B in visitor spending each year. Forestry, mining and manufacturing remain vital. With land and clean energy resources, the U.P. has a strong base for growth.

Housing shortages and healthcare gaps make it harder to attract and keep workers in Michigan’s U.P. Tackling these issues is key to future growth.

The U.P. has strong universities, but lags in bachelor’s degree attainment. That gap limits access to higher-wage industries and slows economic growth.

Since 2015, Michigan’s U.P. has lost more than 9,000 workers ages 25–54, the backbone of the labor force. That shift strains the labor market and healthcare system.

New Upjohn Report Maps Economic Challenges and Opportunities for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

New Upjohn Institute report maps the economic challenges & opportunities shaping Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. From workforce to industry strengths, here’s what’s ahead for the U.P.
#econsky #michigan #UpperPeninsula #EconomicDevelopment

YouTube video by Bloomberg Television Battle Over America’s Jobs Data, Australia's Gold Rush, Investing in India

Mike Horrigan, president of the Upjohn Institute and former senior official at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, discusses the integrity of government economic statistics in Bloomberg. #econsky #econtwitter #BLS #jobs

Is the Jobs Data Still Reliable? Yes, at Least for Now.

“There’s not like one person in a room who can manipulate things,” our @aaronsojourner.org tells @bencasselman.bsky.social at @nytimes.com “There are safeguards in place.”
#JobsDay

As context, labor markets have been strong:
- low unemployment rate,
- high rate of worker job security with low rate of bosses firing staff (figure),
- few working part time due to lack of full time offer,
- wages growing,
- high participation and employment rates for 25-54 year olds…

Hershbein details his insights, including a close look at trends in wage inequality, in this thread.
#NHQI

Economy looks increasingly fragile: Special Labor Day New Hires Quality Index

Each year, in the news release nearest Labor Day, New Hires Quality Index creator @bradhershbein.bsky.social compares the #NHQI with actual, reported wages of newly hired workers.

Doing so this year, Hershbein concludes that the economy looks increasingly fragile.

There's lots to be said for the "abundance" movement but it says too little about distressed places.

Interesting take from @timbartik.bsky.social

@dkthomp.bsky.social @ezrakleinbot.bsky.social @yappelbaum.bsky.social @andreperryedu.bsky.social @brookings.edu @upjohninstitute.bsky.social

New thread from our @timbartik.bsky.social on the "Abundance Movement"

Sounds like the WE Focus series, all open access:
research.upjohn.org/upjohnpress_...

Opinion | Michigan, focus on economic development policies with proven bang for the buck - Bridge Michigan As the state budget gets tighter, Michigan can make its economic development programs more productive in several ways.

Megadeals can sometimes be justified—if they increase state residents’ earnings per capita by more than their costs, @timbartik.bsky.social writes for @bridgemi.com.
But this requires large multiplier effects on jobs, and locating jobs in areas with low employment and many workers seeking jobs.

And state in all its econ development programs -- either cash incentives or business services -- should target distressed places, with low employment rates. In such places, job creation will boost employment rates more and in-migration less. In booming places, job creation mostly boosts in-migration

My op-ed at @bridgemi.com on Michigan economic development strategies following the cancellation of a large semiconductor plant near Flint. Overall point: there are strategies that have higher bang for the buck.

In an era of fiscal stringency, economic development must focus on projects with the highest bang for the buck, our @timbartik.bsky.social writes for Bridge Michigan. To do so, the state should target distressed places and emphasize economic development services.

Hiring of foreign-born workers drops: New Hires Quality Index for June

We also touched on this a couple months ago for the New Hires Quality Index release: www.upjohn.org/news/hiring-...

Payroll employment revisions indicate a slowing labor market—not a political agenda Commentary from Upjohn Institute President Mike Horrigan

Why are payroll employment estimates revised? An explanation in this commentary from our President, Mike Horrigan.

Commentary on payroll employment revisions from Upjohn Institute President Mike Horrigan
www.upjohn.org/news/payroll...

Minnesota economists, researchers fear politicization of jobs data - MinnPost Other data exists from other federal, state and private sources, but would be hard to replicate the breadth of what BLS provides.

"The president has the power to remove someone for cause," our @aaronsojourner.org tells @minnpost.bsky.social. "There’s no cause here.”

College affordability crisis hits American families in different ways Attending and completing college remains one of the most important ways a person can boost their lifetime earnings and employment opportunities. The costs of college tuition, however, have soared in…

From 1996 to 2020, college costs were highest and rose fastest for families in the top quarter of the income distribution. But families in the lowest quarter paid a much larger share of their income—about two-thirds of their annual earnings—towards tuition. #EduSky

We’re looking forward to one more day packed with amazing conversations and actionable insights tomorrow! #manufacturingmomentum