workforce

Ford School economist Betsey Stevenson has noted that in January 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic shattered labor markets, women’s participation had been at its highest level ever. Now as the U.S. economy rebuilds, she again is commenting on...

Statewide, two-thirds of local government leaders say their government’s workforce is generally reflective of the community’s racial and/or ethnic composition and three-quarters say it is reflective of the community’s gender makeup. These...

Ford School economics professor Betsey Stevenson was widely sought after for analysis after a strong monthly jobs report. Here are some excerpts of her appearances:  Taming Inflation, CBS Face the Nation, June 5, 2022 It's important to realize...

In a recent interview with WXYZ, Lydia Wileden, PhD candidate and research associate on the Detroit Metro Area Communities Study, answered questions about Detroit's unemployment rate, which has stayed at 20% over the last year.  "We do see that a...

Betsey Stevenson, professor of public policy and economics, recently talked to Al Jazeera about the Great Resignation – the phenomenon of millions of Americans voluntarily leaving their jobs. She explained what's going on behind the...

The recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic hit employment in the service sector hardest, and the workforce is still feeling the effects,  Betsey Stevenson, professor of economics and public policy, told Mother Jones , "The pandemic created a...

Betsey Stevenson countered arguments against President Biden’s Build Back Better legislation as the bill passed the House and moved into the Senate. “There is just absolute historic investment in childcare that is really going to benefit so many...

In the debate over the expanded Child Tax Credit, economists disagree on how many parents will leave the labor force. Katherine Michelmore speaks to the Washington Post about her research and why previous estimates are too high. "We’ve since done...

Betsy Stevenson observed key economic indicators and the continuing effects of COVID-19 this week.  At Wednesday’s CNBC Workforce Executive Council Summit, she said, “People seem to be fed up and leaving work...There are a lot of different things...

This week, Betsey Stevenson spoke to NPR and PBS about the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, from supply chains around the world, to a changing workforce, and U.S. government debt. "COVID's affecting the entire world. There are entire...

Millions have lost a source of income with the federal pandemic unemployment benefits ending. Betsey Stevenson, professor of public policy and economics, says that while some people will return to work, not all will.  "I do not think that......

As the economy and world attempts to return to normal with the help of the COVID-19 vaccine, a new normal -- from social norms to remote work -- is emerging. Betsey Stevenson, professor of public policy and economics, recently spoke with Project...

As the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for low-wage labor has spiked, and along with it, wages. Betsey Stevenson, professor of public policy and economics, laid out exactly what is happening in the economy. “What’s happening...

As the world adjusts to what life will look like as the pandemic ebbs, one key question is whether the work-from-home trend will continue. Justin Wolfers, professor of public policy and economics, said that workers are more productive at home,...

The pandemic has left many anxious about what the future of work looks like. Alford Young, courtesy faculty at the Ford School, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in the Department of Sociology and a professor of African and African American studies,...

With COVID-19 restrictions being lifted across the country, what does the "other side" of the pandemic look like? Many realize that everything will not revert to pre-pandemic "normal." Betsey Stevenson, professor of public policy and economics, has...

In order to get more people back into the labor force, Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently proposed the idea of paying people who go back to work. Patrick Cooney, assistant director of economic mobility at Poverty Solutions, explained that...

Betsey Stevenson, professor of public policy and economics, explained why the U.S. isn't seeing the economic recovery that everyone hoped for in a recent commentary for The New York Times.  "Finding work is harder than returning to work. Job...

The pandemic has forced many working mothers to leave the workforce and instead care for their children at home. The issue as the world opens back up: how can those women return to the workforce. "Returnships", or programs that offer training,...

The Department of Labor released its employment situation summary report last week, which revealed that women make up more than half of U.S. payroll, for only the second time in history. Betsey Stevenson, professor at the Ford School, analyzed the...