W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research

Michigan’s free-preschool program passes a benefit-cost test, a new analysis by Upjohn Institute Senior Economist Tim Bartik finds, mainly by increasing parents’ earnings. All told, Bartik’s model finds that $1 spent on the program creates $1.72 in total economic benefits.

The region's economy is recovering, but challenges remain, our Mike Horrigan tells Southwest Michigan First State of Economic Development event. Wage growth, childcare access and workforce training are critical to sustaining economic momentum and ensuring long-term prosperity.

Every once in a while, I like to take a look at the 'Average Price' series from BLS and see what has happened to prices of commonly purchased goods since Feb 2020. I list below the Feb 2020 and the Jan 2025 prices for 4 goods that help to form consumers' views of inflation. I also show the max price that occurred over that time period. Now there are 'other' reasons for high prices (aka bird flu and eggs) but the backbone of how consumers feel about progress on inflation is the price at the grocery store or the gas pump. Mike Morrissey Aaron Sojourner Justin Carinci

What's going on with prices for some commonly purchased items? Upjohn Institute President Mike Horrigan takes a comparative look at today vs. five years ago.

We're hiring a postdoctoral researcher to collaborate with researchers here at the Upjohn Institute and at the University of Minnesota on work related to the economics of the early care and education workforce. It's a two-year position. Half of the position's time is devoted to the collaborative project and half is for independent research.

If you're working on a dissertation focused on employment issues of interest to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities, apply for one of our Dissertation Research Grants. Grants are offered in partnership with the @russell-sage-foundation

Place-based policies are vital for enhancing economic mobility within communities. The Upjohn Institute's Policies for Place initiative, with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, recently convened policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to discuss strategies addressing challenges like limited job opportunities and unequal access to education, housing, and child care. They've distilled their insights into "Five Key Lessons for Five Core Groups Shaping Place-Based Policy." These lessons provide actionable guidance for policymakers, businesses, community organizations, researchers, and funders to collaboratively build stronger, more equitable communities. Explore these key lessons to understand how each group can contribute to effective place-based policies. https://lnkd.in/g24SEqFt

Tax reforms over the past decades have furthered income inequality and reduced intergenerational mobility. The 1-year expansions of the Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit provide blueprints for reforms that provide general income support to families across the income spectrum and reduce child care costs. New brief for National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) coauthored by our Gabrielle Pepin https://lnkd.in/g3igkNM3

The Upjohn Institute was well represented at the Allied Social Science Associations' annual meeting Jan. 3-5 in San Francisco. If you missed it, here’s a rundown of all the sessions our researchers participated in. https://lnkd.in/g67SYM4x

Upjohn Institute staff members are presenting fascinating research on employment-related topics on the biggest stage for economics and social science research: the Allied Social Science Associations' annual meeting Jan. 3-5 in San Francisco. See all 13 sessions we're participating in and learn more about our research.