minimum wage

Betsey Stevenson, Ford School professor and economist, comments on a possible American oligarchy. She says we may be "moving to a world where the people who have the most money want to rewrite the rules in their favor," a situation that would...

Ford School professor, Justin Wolfers, explained the benefits of the phase in period for the raised Michigan minimum wage, saying that this period is "so businesses have a long time to adapt.” Wolfers also said, “perhaps businesses have a bit of...

A former foreign minister to Mali, a leading educational economist, a tech entrepreneur who explores indigenous technoscience are among the outstanding new faculty that add depth to the Ford School and connect student education, rigorous academic...

Economist Justin Holz joins the Ford School as an assistant professor. Holz’s current research explores how economic policies affect racial disparities, how to increase tax compliance in large businesses, and police misconduct. "I am excited to...

Ford School economics professor Betsey Stevenson is widely tapped for her comprehensive knowledge of the state of the U.S. economy. When the debt ceiling deal was reached between President Biden and the GOP in Congress, she told NPR that the...

McDonald's workers are striking for better wages all across the country, including in Michigan. Many argue against a higher minimum wage, saying that it would cause job loss. Patrick Cooney, assistant director of economic mobility at U-M Poverty...

Ford School economics professor Betsey Stevenson has been commenting on the debate about raising the minimum wage and the contours of the COVID-19 recovery. When the April jobs report was released, with significantly fewer jobs created than were...

According to the Washington Post, Stevenson said that lower-wage workers, many struggling with higher levels of unemployment and job insecurity due to the pandemic, should not have to bear the cost of the pandemic by waiting for more equitable...

In an attempt to forestall a citizen-led initiative to raise the state’s minimum wage, Michigan GOP legislators approved a gradual increase that would get the state to a $12-minimum in 2022. However, during this lame duck session, they instead...

Betsey Stevenson is helping to paint a picture of the stark reality surrounding racial and economic inequality in the United States. In a July 30 Yahoo Politics article, "Obama: Investing in minority men is not 'charity,' it's lucrative," Senior...

“Economists have long argued that increases in worker pay can lead to improvements in productivity—indeed, that it can actually be profitable to pay workers higher wages,” write Justin Wolfers and Jan Zilinsky in “Higher wages for low-income workers...

In a May 23 article for Business Insider, Hayley Peterson looks to history to argue "Why Today's Fast Food Wage Protests Won't Force Companies to Pony Up." "American workers have been unionizing and striking for better pay and working conditions...

The Washington Post published an op-ed by Betsey Stevenson, entitled "Five Myths about the Minimum Wage." The topic has been widely discussed since President Obama proposed increasing the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 per hour in his...