What does research say about remote work? Watch as Stanford University economist and 2026 Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow Nicholas Bloom talks to our Paige Ouimet about its effects on career advancement.
A labor market shedding jobs plus continuing inflation concerns will give the Fed much to think about at its midmonth policy meeting. Join Research Director Christian Lundblad as he analyzes the new jobs numbers.
Join Kenan Institute Research Director Camelia Kuhnen as she discusses the latest employment report during the institute’s monthly briefing at 9 AM EDT Thursday, July 2.
Are younger workers really less loyal to their employers, or are we misunderstanding what the data tells us about career growth and job mobility?
What keeps employees engaged at work? Watch as Chief Economist, Glassdoor, and 2026 Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow, Daniel Zhao, breaks down what today’s workforce truly values.
Join Kenan Institute Research Fellow Greg Brown as he discusses the up-and-down year for job growth and the fresh employment report during the institute’s monthly briefing at 9 AM EDT Friday, May 8.
Beneath the headlines about Iran and oil, a quieter story is building. Join Kenan Institute Research Fellow Christian Lundblad as he discusses the situation and takes your questions during the institute’s monthly briefing at 9 AM EDT Friday, April 3.
The government shutdown has slowed the flow of economic data out of Washington to a trickle. Kenan Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen will look at available indicators to fill the gap during the institute’s monthly briefing at 9 AM EST Friday, November 7.
Join us for the 2025 Frontiers of Business Conference: Bridging the Skills Gap on October 9 in Chapel Hill, NC. Be part of the conversation and discover innovative solutions to position workers and businesses to succeed.
North Carolina’s growing skills gap reflects a national challenge, but the state’s robust job market is creating high-paying opportunities for skilled workers. We talked to four experts about how to successfully scale the state’s apprenticeship and training efforts.
Kenan Institute Research Director Camelia Kuhnen talked to the Wall Street Journal about the “two-speed economy,” where high earners and many older Americans are in good shape but unemployment for others has jumped.
We update an August 2023 piece in which we explain why manufacturing remains essential for economic growth and how manufacturing in the US today incorporates both regional shifts and “stickiness” in traditional strongholds.
For our December 6 economic briefing, Kenan Institute Research Director Camelia Kuhnen discussed the morning's employment report, which showed a bounce back from October's numbers, and the rise in the level of consumer confidence in recent months.
Artificial intelligence was a major topic of conversation at the Frontiers of Business Conference on October 10. See how speakers and panelists think the technology will change the future of business.
In his Frontiers of Business keynote examining the use of artificial intelligence, MIT economist David Autor sees a future where AI extends the expertise of workers rather than replacing them.
Institute Research Fellow Christian Lundblad discussed the morning's employment report, factors the Federal Reserve is considering before possibly cutting interest rates at its next meeting, and the vital role that government economic data plays.
At the institute's briefing Aug. 2, Research Fellow Greg Brown discussed the morning's employment report, which showed the number of new jobs in July falling below predictions. He also examined how a slowing economy can affect businesses and consumers.
UNC-Chapel Hill professor and Kenan Institute expert Iheoma U. Iruka took part in a roundtable discussion on the "childcare cliff" on PBS NC’s “State Lines” July 5. The episode is available online.
During the institute’s monthly briefing June 7, Research Director Camelia Kuhnen discussed the stronger-than-expected new employment report and predicted that the Federal Reserve would still begin lowering interest rates later in the year.
Camelia Kuhnen, Kenan Institute director of research and UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School finance professor, speaks to consumer sentiment during the institute's May 3 economic briefing.
During the institute’s monthly press briefing May 3, Research Director Camelia Kuhnen discussed slower growth in the labor market and explored what creates the gap we now see in consumer sentiment numbers.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School shared insights on resilience and leading through uncertain times with Dean Mary Margaret Frank on April 23.
Watson, a Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow, will discuss key findings from the economics literature and their implications for where to focus immigration reform efforts.
Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow Tara Watson discussed "An Economist’s Guide to Immigration Reform" before an audience of UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School faculty and students on April 11.
During the institute’s monthly press briefing April 5, Research Fellow Greg Brown presented thoughts on what’s needed to extend a period of job growth and lower inflation.
During the institute's monthly press briefing March 8, Chief Economist Gerald Cohen discussed another solid jobs report, in which the U.S. economy added 275,000 jobs for February.
Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow Josh Lerner discussed "The Venture Capital Bust and the Resilience of Innovation" before an audience of UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School faculty and students on Feb. 15.
Dive into the value of private-public partnerships in growing enterprises, careers and communities to learn more about Wolfspeed's efforts to cultivate a sustainable workforce pipeline.
Dive into the value of private-public partnerships in growing enterprises, careers and communities to learn more about Wolfspeed's efforts to cultivate a sustainable workforce pipeline.
During the institute's monthly press briefing Feb. 2, Senior Faculty Fellow Christian Lundblad discussed a "Wow!" employment report for January in which job growth beat all expectations.
During the institute's monthly press briefing Jan. 5, institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen analyzed another healthy job growth number and discussed his five economic trends to watch for this year.
For many companies, it’s clear the hybrid workplace is here to stay. Explore executive insights on best practices for managing remote and hybrid teams and the importance of adaptable leadership amid greater workday flexibility and evolving team structures.
During the institute's monthly press briefing Dec. 8, former institute Executive Director Greg Brown analyzed the “slower slowing” in employment growth and signs that the Federal Reserve should keep its guard up against inflation.
Angelica Leigh, assistant professor of management and organizations at Duke University Fuqua School of Business and 2023 Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow, defines the characteristics of mega-threats and their potential effects on the workplace.
During the institute’s monthly press briefing Nov. 3, Research Director Camelia Kuhnen analyzed the subdued job growth in October’s employment report and why economic growth isn't being distributed evenly among all households.
Interested in a recap of the Frontiers of Business Conference: Workforce Disrupted? Read the key takeaways and powerful insights from the conference's speakers and panelists on the 2023 grand challenge theme.
Our 2023 Frontiers of Business Conference will convene corporate executives, top researchers and policy leaders to share objective, evidence-based solutions for navigating the precarious road toward a labor market equilibrium. Learn more today.
Chief Economist Gerald Cohen analyzed the strong job growth in September’s employment report during the institute’s monthly economic briefing Oct. 6 and looked at why Congress should focus on mandatory spending and tax revenue, not discretionary spending.
As autoworkers continue to strike, there are concerns about how the work stoppage could affect the automotive supply chain, which is still adjusting to challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow Angelica Leigh, assistant professor of management and organizations at Duke University Fuqua School of Business, explored the effect of societal events, or “mega-threats,” on employees and employers in a talk Sept. 20.
Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen examined the effect of rising gasoline prices on overall inflation figures and the Federal Reserve’s probable response during the institute’s monthly economic briefing Sept. 8.
Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow Thomas Stith moderated the panel discussion "Seeking a New Labor Market Equilibrium: A Leadership Perspective" on Aug. 23.
Sekou Bermiss, UNC Kenan-Flagler associate professor of strategy and entrepreneurship, unpacks the topic of people analytics, discussing how firms can build better culture by supporting both managers and employees.
The American Growth Project explains why manufacturing remains essential for economic growth and how manufacturing in the U.S. today incorporates both regional shifts and “stickiness” in traditional strongholds.
Have the chances of a recession arriving in the next year decreased? Institute Executive Director Greg Brown laid out the conflicting economic indicators around this question and offered his analysis of the Aug. 4 employment report, which showed 187,000 jobs added in July. He also answered questions on the yield curve’s performance and the potential effects of Fitch’s downgrade of the U.S. credit rating.
Academics and innovators recently convened at the institute's wealth inequality conference to discuss the effects of income disparity and how education and research can create opportunities for more equitable access.
Chief Economist Gerald Cohen outlines mid-year updates to our 2023 economic forecasts, discussing which EMAs have changed since our January projections.
UNC Kenan-Flagler Assistant Professor Tim Kundro fields questions concerning how managers and firms can best foster a healthy working environment.
Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen offered his analysis of the July 7 jobs report, which showed an additional 209,000 jobs in June, and discussed why the Fed may be looking at interest rates increases in the near future but not beyond that.
Join us for the Kenan Institute’s monthly virtual press briefing at 9 a.m. EDT this Friday, July 7, as institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen offers his insights on the labor market and the decision facing the Federal Reserve.
UNC Professor Mohammad Jarrahi and IBM’s Phaedra Boinodiris address concerns about organizational adoption of artificial intelligence and how to include employees in important discussions, such as ethical considerations and potential job-related changes.
The institute has teamed up to work with Fifth Third Commercial Bank Chief Economist Jeff Korzenik on research into second-chance hiring. In his new opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal, Korzenik discusses Japan’s “miracle” workforce expansion and what the U.S. can learn from it.
Institute Executive Director Greg Brown offered his analysis of the June 2 employment report and talked about why now may be a good time to tackle the country’s spending and revenue issues.
Join us for the Kenan Institute’s monthly virtual press briefing at 9 a.m. EDT this Friday, June 2, as institute Executive Director Greg Brown offers his insights on the labor market and the long road back to fiscal responsibility.
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School’s Christian Lundblad offered his analysis of the May 5 employment report, which showed employers adding 253,000 jobs in April, far above forecasts. He also answered questions about the Fed’s next move and what a sharp revision in March’s numbers might mean.
Join us for the Kenan Institute’s monthly virtual press briefing at 9 a.m. EDT this Friday, May 5, as UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Professor Christian Lundblad offers his insights on both the labor market and the Fed's response to continuing inflation.
Our American Growth Project examination of skills in the workforce begins with a discussion of why skills are difficult to measure, then moves to a broad look at two ways to estimate the skill level across our Extended Metropolitan Areas.
Perez-Truglia, a Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow, will summarize the latest research, including his own, to provide a better understanding of the effectiveness of pay transparency laws.
The institute's Distinguished Fellows comprise an exemplary set of global scholars leveraging their individual expertise to further the institute’s efforts to examine and drive solutions to issues facing business and the economy today.
How do firms try to retain workers in a tight labor market? New research finds that employers use a variety of pay and nonpay mechanisms but that multiplant companies may find the nonpay options more cost-effective.
The economy continued to add jobs in March, but Chief Economist Gerald Cohen pointed out some underlying indicators that point to a slowdown. Also: effects from March’s bank collapses.
Join us for the Kenan Institute’s monthly virtual press briefing at 9 a.m. EDT this Friday, April 7, as institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen offers his insights on both the labor market and the questions surrounding March's bank failures.
Kenan Institute Executive Director Greg Brown discussed the 311,000 jobs that the economy added in February during the institute’s monthly briefing March 10 and answered questions about labor participation rates and news of trouble at Silicon Valley Bank.
Join us for the Kenan Institute’s virtual economic briefing at 9 a.m. EST this Friday, March 10, as we provide instant analysis following the report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Institute Executive Director Greg Brown will offer his insights and answer questions from the audience.
Kenan Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen explains why we're doubling down on our recessionary forecasts.
As part of our 2023 grand challenge, we survey factors such as demographics, health trends, immigration and childcare that are essential to understanding the dynamics now at play regarding the supply of workers in the labor force.
Failing to consider neurodiversity when trying to create truly diverse and inclusive workplaces has crucial implications for productivity and general life satisfaction. Organizations should consider these three points of action to improve their work environments and cultures.
Issues constricting the supply of workers, the sector-by-sector employment effects of a potential recession, the emergence of new technologies – these are the primary labor demand themes we’ll focus on in our 2023 grand challenge.
Kenan Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen discussed the 517,000 jobs that employers added in January during the institute’s monthly economic briefing Feb. 3 and answered questions from the press on where workers to fill those jobs are coming from.
Join us for the Kenan Institute’s virtual press briefing at 9 a.m. EST this Friday, Feb. 3, as we provide instant analysis following the latest employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen will offer his insights and answer questions from the audience.
COVID-19 sent shockwaves through the global economic system, disrupting financial markets, slowing productivity and exacerbating inequities. But its unprecedented impact on the labor market may serve as the pandemic’s most enduring economic effect.
Research from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Assistant Professor of Finance Abhinav Gupta demonstrates how a seemingly small change in the green-card application process holds tremendous significance for millions in the tech industry, made even more relevant by the sector’s current slowdown.
The Kenan Institute recaps a panel on the business of women's health from the Center for Business of Health's November 2022 conference.
Chief Economist Gerald Cohen spoke to WTVD-TV about the American Growth Project’s projection for a 1.6% increase in GDP for Raleigh and Durham this year, good for fourth best among the 50 biggest U.S. microeconomies.
Chief Economist Gerald Cohen discussed whether the job growth shown in the new employment report would influence the inflation-fighting work of the Fed and why excess savings may cushion the blow of a recession he predicts will come later in the year.
In kicking off the new year, we at the Kenan Institute want to highlight five topics we anticipate will be top of mind for business leaders and policymakers during the 12 months ahead.
Join us for the Kenan Institute’s virtual press briefing at 9 a.m. EST this Friday, Jan. 6, as we provide instant analysis following the latest employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen will offer his insights and answer questions from the audience.
Kenan Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen discusses the power of productivity and what that means for the U.S. economy.
We Are All Human founder Claudia Romo Edelman talks with the Kenan Institute about why diversity matters for both employers and employees, and how Hispanic workers in particular are navigating their relationship to the workforce after the pandemic.
In a Financial Times article on paying executives in the age of stakeholder capitalism, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Professor Camelia Kuhnen notes that performance-related compensation packages can have negative consequences.
Kenan Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen explains the vital importance of productivity to the health of our economy, both domestically and globally, and why that is only one metric of societal health.
The United States may be a highly productive society as a whole, but regionally results vary widely. Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen discusses the success stories and trends identified from our American Growth Project study of the top producing cities.
The new report from the Kenan Institute's American Growth Project takes a look under the hood at productivity - and which U.S. cities have been climbing up the productivity rankings.
Chief Economist Gerald Cohen discussed the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ fresh employment report and what it means for the U.S. economy during the Kenan Institute’s monthly economic briefing Dec. 2. Cohen also discussed the inversion of the yield curve.
Join us for the Kenan Institute’s virtual press briefing at 9 a.m. EST this Friday, Dec. 2, as we sort it all out and provide instant analysis following the latest employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen will offer his insights and answer questions from the audience.
Research indicates that groups are most effective at achieving gender equity goals when men and women advocate together.
Apprenticeship programs have not historically been successful in reaching a diverse array of people. A report by the institute-affiliated NCGrowth examines trends within apprenticeship and offers a set of best practices to continue diversifying these programs
The institute’s first American Growth Project report suggests that downtown San Francisco had to take a major hit from the shift to working from home so that its surrounding metro area could thrive, Fortune's Prarthana Prakash writes.
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Professor Christian Lundblad discussed the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ fresh employment report and what it means for the U.S. economy at the Kenan Institute’s virtual press briefing on Friday, Nov. 4.
Is the Fed’s aggressive policy working to take the froth off the labor market? Join us for the Kenan Institute’s virtual press briefing at 9 a.m. EDT this Friday, Nov. 4, as we discuss the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ fresh employment report and what it means for the U.S. economy.
Productivity plunged in the first half of 2022, dropping by the sharpest rate on record going back to 1947. Chief Economist Gerald Cohen was among the experts talking to the Washington Post about what it means.
How the U.S. is experiencing inflation shows considerable variation from place to place.
COVID-19 and the subsequent rise in work-from-home policies by firms have changed the landscape of skilled labor in the United States. The Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes finds that 15% of employees are working from home full time, as of September 2022. This dramatic increase in remote work has led to an equally dramatic physical migration of workers across the U.S. Census data shows a sharp decline in populations of the largest U.S. cities and increases among midsize cities and smaller metro areas. For example, from 2020 to 2021, the counties of Manhattan (New York County) and San Francisco both saw a decline in their population of 25- to 54-year-olds by nearly 10%.
Nonwage benefits have become more important to employers and employees alike. A new look shows where you work plays a far greater role in the level of benefits you receive than it does your paycheck.
Companies including UPS and Amazon are preparing to hire seasonal workers, and the Triangle’s already hot labor market makes this especially good news for area job seekers, Chief Economist Gerald Cohen tells WTVD.
Kenan Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen discussed the latest employment report Oct. 7, seeing a few signs of cracks in the economy despite a still respectable number of jobs added during September.
Employment growth has remained exceptionally strong this year, and September is expected to be another healthy month. Join us for the Kenan Institute’s virtual press briefing at 9 a.m. EDT this Friday, Oct. 7, as we discuss the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ fresh employment report and how it may affect the Federal Reserve’s aggressive reaction to inflation.
A last-minute deal averted a rail strike last week, but it highlights how staffing shortages in the industry as well as in education, hospitality and healthcare are pushing workers to push back, writes The Washington Post. Jobs with long hours and rigid schedules that lack competitive pay and benefits are proving the most difficult to fill, Director of Research Paige Ouimet said. “Running your workers like this – asking them to do 20, 30 percent more because you’re short staffed – it’s very much a short-term strategy,” Ouimet said. “You’re going to keep losing people.”
COVID-19 first caused chaos in our labor markets with the lockdowns of 2020, which sent unemployment rates soaring to all-time highs. It has continued to disrupt labor markets into 2022 as worries about health risks have kept workers at home, exasperating labor shortages. Looking forward, as we learn to live with COVID, we will also have to adapt to the effects of long COVID, when symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty breathing and “brain fog” appear after COVID. In this commentary, I attempt to assess the risk to our labor markets from long COVID.
Kenan Institute Executive Director Greg Brown discussed the Federal Reserve’s next move after the Sept. 2 employment report showed slowing but still strong job growth. Brown predicted that the Fed, to protect its reputation as an inflation fighter, would more likely overshoot than come up short in using higher interest rates to tamp down rising prices. He also answered questions from the media on how the global nature of inflation limits the Fed’s effectiveness as well as what can be expected for local and North Carolina labor markets.
Labor force participation rose in July and again in August, providing the Federal Reserve a victory in its efforts to boost participation rates closer to pre-pandemic levels, Barron’s reports. Rising prices may be sending some people back to the job market, Chief Economist Gerald Cohen told the publication. “There are help wanted signs everywhere and so you can get to the point where [people] are saying, look there are opportunities out there and let me go take advantage of them,” he said.
The Fed is threading a shrinking needle in its attempts to engineer a soft landing for the U.S. economy. Join Professor Greg Brown for a briefing built on the latest employment data and financial market signals, followed by his answers to questions from the audience.
Small-business owners say they’re just beginning to recover from the sudden blow that hobbled many of them during the early 2020 pandemic restrictions. Now mixed economic messages have them wondering what to do next, according to a Washington Post story. “There is so much that’s up in the air, and uncertainty affects small businesses much more so than it does larger ones,” said institute Director of Research Paige Ouimet.
Last month our home state of North Carolina was named “America’s Top State for Business” by CNBC (see the full ranking here). It wasn’t long after when some commentators pointed out that Oxfam had recently ranked N.C. as the worst state for workers. The extreme juxtaposition of rankings made me wonder if this was a coincidence or if there are systematic factors that make states good for businesses and bad for workers. Perhaps “right-to-work” laws, lax worker protection regulation or regional wage differences attract businesses looking to take advantage of areas with weak labor bargaining power. This in turn leads to business growth and thus job migration to states that are less desirable for individual workers. At the end of the day, economic planning should have the best interest of residents in mind when crafting business policy, so it seems worth unpacking what drives the rankings.
The U.S. economy added 528,000 jobs in July, an unexpectedly strong number that Kenan Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen discussed during the Kenan Institute’s economic briefing Aug. 5. Cohen also answered questions from the media about the shifting balance of power between employers and employees, the labor force shortage and what the news means for North Carolina businesses.
July employment numbers suggest that the economy isn’t heading into recession but instead is accelerating as the third quarter begins, Chief Economist Gerald Cohen said during the institute’s monthly economic briefing Aug. 5. “It’s still post-COVID recovery, but … we’ve surpassed the pre-COVID levels by 32,000,” Cohen said, as reported by the Triangle Business Journal.
Three institute-associated experts provided analysis for the July 30 edition of WRAL-TV’s “On the Record” news program. In a segment on dwindling child care options in the Raleigh area, Director of Research Paige Ouimet talked about how child care access affects the ability of women to work.
GDP, the broadest measure of economic output, contracted for the second straight quarter, stoking fears that the economy is already in a recession — and has been since the beginning of the year. But the guts of the GDP report coupled with continued strong job growth and decent consumer spending suggest that the expansion remains on track. While the official arbiters of recessions are likely to agree with me — they don’t look at GDP but rather measures like job creation — what really matters to households and businesses is whether their spending power or foot traffic is drying up.
Employment numbers have remained strong recently even as other economic indicators have faltered. We’ll discuss whether the trend continues when the Kenan Institute’s economic briefing returns at 9 a.m. EDT this Friday, Aug. 5, after the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its monthly jobs report.
Too much or too little? Asked by German network Deutsche Welle about the Federal Reserve’s 0.75 percentage point interest rate increase July 27, Chief Economist Gerald Cohen called it just right, given that a hot job market is now accompanied by high inflation.
Unions seem to be popping up everywhere these days. In fact, the National Labor Relations Board reported that requests for union elections during the last nine months are up 58% over the prior fiscal year. This trend has received significant coverage in the media, with particular interest in successful organization efforts at Amazon, Starbucks and Apple.
Institute Director of Research Paige Ouimet spoke to Ned Barnett for The News & Observer’s Opinion section on how the pandemic has changed workers’ lives. The wages of lower-skilled workers have increased by a higher percentage than those of high-skilled workers, but inflation has effectively wiped out those gains.
Just what does GDP say about the health of the economy? Perhaps not as much as we thought, according to a Reuters report that notes the collision of negative GDP growth — driven down in part by extraordinary supply chain issues — with vibrant employment numbers.
A new Raleigh pizzeria is among the area restaurants paying employees higher wages, and the owner told WTVD-TV that bigger paychecks are helping him hire and retain workers. Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen said he thinks bar and restaurant workers have long been underpaid and called putting more money in their pockets beneficial to society. “As long as you don't have the inflationary spiral, this could be a really positive outcome. It just means it might cost people more to go to a restaurant,” Cohen said.
Seventeen states have enacted salary transparency laws to combat pay gaps historically experienced by people of color and women, but the laws take different forms and have produced varying results. How does requiring companies to provide summary salary statistics compare with, for example, preventing companies from asking applicants about their previous salaries? Can such laws actually work against employees? Two experts address these questions and more in this week’s Kenan Insight.
A surprisingly strong jobs report for June only adds to the difficulty of getting a read on the U.S. economy, writes Dan Barkin on the Business North Carolina site. He cites statistics offered by UNC Kenan-Flagler Professor Christian Lundblad in the institute’s July 8 economic briefing and notes Lundblad’s opinion that a “real” recession, rather than a technical recession, is more likely to arrive in early to mid-2023.
Kenan Institute Research Director Christian Lundblad navigated the cognitive dissonance provided by another strong jobs report when considered alongside more negative indicators during the institute’s latest economic briefing July 8. The virtual event took place at 9 a.m. after the release of the latest monthly employment numbers. Lundblad also answered questions from the audience, including limitations on the Federal Reserve in addressing core consumer price issues, the differences among regional labor markets, and the probability of an actual recession vs. a technical recession occurring this year.
The central bank has been busy trying to put the brakes on inflation, but are we beginning to see the signs of a Fed-induced recession? Professor Christian Lundblad, the institute’s director of research, will examine that possibility, provide an update on the employment figures and take your questions at 9 a.m. EDT this Friday, July 8.
Pete Stavros of KKR & Co. founded Ownership Works, a new initiative backed by 19 private equity firms, with the objective of reducing income inequality by increasing employee share ownership. The group has prominent backers and a lofty goal of creating $20 billion in wealth in 10 years. As a researcher who has worked on employee share ownership and the benefits it can create, I was encouraged by the news. But while I broadly support employee ownership, such initiatives also can raise red flags because of the risk they impose on employees. As such, it is worthwhile to think carefully through what we know and don’t know about such programs.
The Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise’s new series of economic briefings returned June 3 following the release of the U.S. Department of Labor’s monthly employment report. In the 9 a.m. ET briefing, Executive Director Greg Brown provided insight on another relatively strong report and talked about how jobs numbers could help influence the Fed to either push past its expected target on interest rates or take a pause in its increases.
With the school year winding down, we invited Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute Fellow and UNC-Chapel Hill Public Policy Research Professor Iheoma Iruka to join us for a discussion on the business of childcare and early education – as well as the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted families’ expectations and workers’ needs
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (May 31, 2022) — Learn how the Department of Labor’s monthly employment report and recent market gyrations will affect expectations for the Fed’s interest rate policy and views on the economic outlook when the Kenan Institute’s new series of virtual press briefings returns this week.
Female involvement in the workforce remains important to the U.S. economy, but COVID-19 has only exacerbated a drop in participation rates. To reverse the trend, businesses are enhancing maternity leave, child care services and access to fertility and family-planning services, according to research by UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School experts.
The latest employment figures show a strong economy and indicate the U.S. is not at risk of recession, Chief Economist Gerald Cohen says in a story by WRAL TechWire’s Jason Parker.
Much has been made about the labor force participation rate, or the percentage of Americans over 16 who are working or actively looking for work — and for good cause, given the number of unfilled vacancies at U.S. firms. If fewer Americans are working, it is going to be harder for firms to staff all of their openings. Currently, 62.2% of adult Americans are working or looking for work. This compares with a historical average of 63.9% in 2019. With 259 million adult Americans, this 1.7 percentage point decrease in the labor force participation rate translates to a missing 4.4 million workers. And the narrative to date has primarily focused on how many Americans made changes following the COVID-19 pandemic (in response to lockdowns, layoffs, health concerns or care responsibilities) and the sizable fraction of these Americans who are still sitting on the sidelines. Given the steady drumbeat of news about how firms are unable to fill all their positions, there is much interest in how and when we expect these workers to return to the labor force. So, when can we expect them to join the labor pool?
The Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise launched its State of the Economy Press Briefing, a quick-response roundup of information and commentary following the U.S. Department of Labor’s monthly employment report, with a virtual presentation May 6. Areas for analysis included how the jobs numbers may affect GDP growth, inflation, and the Fed’s plans, with an eye toward what it all means for business.
In the 9 a.m. ET briefing, Chief Economist Gerald Cohen offered additional insights into the effects of COVID-19 on employment and the labor market’s continuing recovery. He also answered questions on the likelihood of a recession and the EU’s response to economic conditions.
The Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise launched its State of the Economy Press Briefing, a quick-response roundup of information and commentary following the U.S. Department of Labor’s monthly employment report, with a virtual presentation May 6.
Chief Economist Gerald Cohen joined N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders and UNC Associate Professor Erin Fraher, deputy director of the Sheps Center for Health Services Research, on Wednesday for an ncIMPACT Virtual Town Hall with host Anita Brown-Graham. The panelists discussed which sectors have been hit by worker shortages particularly hard and where the talent to fill those positions will come from.
CEOs of the Triangle saw significant raises last year, according to a recent Axios analysis. Kenan Institute Chief Economist Gerald Cohen weighs in on these surging salaries and the gap between managers and company leaders, calling it the “superstar effect.”
Chief Economist Gerald Cohen will be a panelist for an ncIMPACT Virtual Town Hall on workforce shortages in the state that will be livestreamed at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 4 on Facebook Live.
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Professor Paige Ouimet was featured on the Friday, April 22, broadcast of “ncIMPACT” on PBS NC. The episode, “Working for a Living Wage,” is now available for streaming and will be rebroadcast on PBS NC at 1:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 26.
Higher energy costs play a major role in the 8.5% annual increase in the consumer price index, Chief Economist Gerald Cohen tells WTVD-TV, driving up prices in travel, transportation and manufacturing. Rising gas prices hurt some families more than others because the ability to work remotely doesn’t extend to many lower-wage professions.
The latest report from the Department of Labor showed continued robust job growth. Employers added 431,000 jobs in March. The news of sustained job gains speaks to the strength of the U.S. economy. Moreover, the labor force participation rate inched up slightly to 62.4% in March, from 62.3% in February, indicating more Americans are reentering the workforce. We still have a long way to go to resolve the imbalance between job openings and unemployed people, however, and this means that current issues of worker burnout will also linger.
Remote work seems likely to continue in a post-pandemic world, if employees have their say. In this week's insight, our experts highlight how businesses can rethink workspaces and better engage and involve employees in the office and those working from home.
“Every business I enter is looking for employees” was a common refrain in our Carolina Across 100 survey, with 79% of the total survey sample selecting employment/staffing concerns among their top three negative impacts of COVID-19 on their organization. Is the staffing shortage just a function of COVID-19 that will correct itself as COVID abates or are there larger demographic and economic forces at work? The answer is a bit of both.
Following last week’s debate about the overheating economy, Kenan Institute experts return this week for round two – this time focusing on policy. In this week's insight, Kenan Institute’s Executive Director Greg Brown and Chief Economist Gerald Cohen debate the pandemic’s influence on U.S. fiscal policies.
As the U.S. continues to face COVID-19 and supply chain disruptions, experts debate just how worked up the economy is in its current state. This week’s Insight serves as the first in a two-part point-counterpoint series, in which Kenan Institute Executive Director Greg Brown and Chief Economist Gerald Cohen hash out the arguments both for and against an overheating economy.
As we begin the new year, we wanted to highlight five topics, beyond the impact of COVID-19 and related uncertainties, that we believe business leaders and policymakers will be grappling with in 2022. Throughout the year, we will focus our efforts to provide solutions-focused analysis on these topics as well as a host of others.
As we begin the new year, we wanted to highlight five topics, beyond the impact of COVID-19 and related uncertainties, that we believe businesspeople and policy makers will be grappling with in 2022. Throughout the year, we will focus our efforts to provide solutions-focused analysis on these topics as well as a host of others.
COVID-19 brought heightened focus to paid sick leave policies – a benefit to which roughly 25% of civilian workers don’t have access in the U.S. After sick leave mandates were temporarily implemented during the pandemic, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School researchers found employment increased, particularly among low-skilled workers and in industries that previously had little access to paid sick leave. In this week's Kenan Insight, our experts explore possible drivers behind this finding as well as potential policy and business implications.
While the gender pay gap has received significant attention in recent years, little progress has been made to close it; in fact, in 2019, women still earned only 82 cents for every dollar received by their male counterparts for equal work. Policymakers in recent years have developed creative solutions aiming to close the gap, including bans prohibiting employers from asking for a job applicant’s salary history. However, in this week’s Kenan Insight, new research from our experts examines whether such well-intentioned bans are inadvertently lowering wages for all employees.
Christian Lundblad, Kenan Institute Director of Research, joined WRAL's Debra Morgan to discuss the state's uneven economic recovery due to employee fear of being exposed to coronavirus. He suggests business vaccine mandates will help get folks back to work.
While the COVID-19 pandemic was devastating for many, research shows its impact was not felt equally. Black Americans experienced disproportionate health and economic ramifications, which compounded the financial, social and psychological strain many felt pre-pandemic, and have contributed to growing inter-generational wealth disparities. In today’s Kenan Insight, our experts explore whether the multi-trillion dollar “Build Back Better” plan proposed by the Biden administration holds the potential to begin closing pervasive gaps in American society.
The COVID-19 pandemic increased economic inequities in a number of ways, including in access to external capital – and while 2020 marked a break-out year for venture-backed firms, the pandemic hit many main street businesses hard. In this Kenan Insight, we explore the forces driving the haves and have-nots in this new economic climate, as well as actionable policy solutions as government support programs wind down.
As the U.S. economy begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and businesses grapple with ongoing labor shortages, the debate around increasing the federal minimum wage – which hasn’t budged in over a decade – has returned to the fore. In this Kenan Insight, we examine whether now is the right time to raise the standard minimum, why these benefits may come at a cost, and what approach might work best given the inevitable tradeoffs.
Director of Research Christian Lundblad and Professor Paige Ouimet examine why some businesses are struggling to fill open positions amid the economic recovery.
The current narrative around the U.S. labor market is a mixed bag, with unemployment numbers well above pre-pandemic rates while many companies struggle to fill jobs. In this Kenan Insight Q&A, three experts weigh in on the critical issues behind this dichotomy.
The current narrative around the U.S. labor market is a mixed bag. On the one hand, many companies are struggling to find enough workers to return to a semblance of normal operations. On the other, 8 million fewer Americans were employed in April 2021 as compared to February 2020. We asked three experts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — Christian Lundblad, Director of Research, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and Richard "Dick" Levin Distinguished Professor of Finance, Area Chair of Finance and Associate Dean of the Ph.D. program, Kenan-Flagler Business School; Luca Flabbi, Associate Professor of Economics; and Paige Ouimet, Professor of Finance, Kenan-Flagler Business School — to weigh in on the critical issues behind this dichotomy.
Much has been written about the disproportionate number of women who have suffered pandemic-related job losses during COVID-19, but a related consequence has not been as well explored: the serious disruption of women’s careers, particularly in fields in which “path dependence” matters for success. In this Kenan Insight, we examine this more subtle asymmetry in the pandemic’s impact as indicative of far broader issues for women’s advancement in the workplace.
The 2020 COVID-fueled economic downturn generated what has been referred to as a K-shaped recession, with both big losers (such as restaurants and the hospitality sector) and big winners (such as high tech and online retail). In this Kenan Insight, we explore how a nascent K-shaped recovery will likely affect U.S. businesses and households.
The widespread adoption of technological advances has made the move to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic a success. In this Kenan Insight, we look at why the switch was such a win, its impact on worker productivity, and what it means in the long term for workers, office spaces and cities.
The arrival of two approved COVID-19 vaccines provides a clear path to the end of the pandemic that held most of 2020 hostage. But a recent resurgence of the virus and skyrocketing rates of infection indicate that a full return to normalcy—including the pre-pandemic work environment— is still months in the future. In this Kenan Insight, we examine the relevant factors that will determine when and how we go back to the office.
Emerging artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities are ushering in significant changes in how enterprises operate – and raising a host of questions for organizations. In this Kenan Insight, we explore how changing the organizational mindset to treat AI as an “employee” may pave the way to fully reaping the benefits of AI systems.
In our previous Kenan Insight, we outlined the major findings in our recent report, Seven Forces Reshaping the Economy. This week, we explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has upended education and childcare, ushering in changes to both that will last far beyond the current crisis.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has recently ramped up efforts to keep immigrants from entering the country and force out some who are already here – arguing these to be necessary measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 and protect American jobs. However, in this Kenan Insight, we summarize why these policies risk having exactly the opposite effect, harming the future health, social well-being and economic viability of our nation.
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Within two months, nearly half a million people fled hard-hit New York City. Will they return once the crisis has passed? In this Kenan Insight, we explore how the ongoing pandemic is raising questions about the future attractiveness of large cities as places to live and do business.
As federal, state and local governments struggle to reopen the economy as the COVID-19 pandemic surges onward, efforts to ensure people’s health and safety are seemingly at odds with attempts to spur economic activity. In this Kenan Insight, we explore how a data-driven approach to reopening North Carolina (and the U.S. as a whole) can help preserve both lives and livelihoods.
Unemployment insurance has been a lifeline for millions of Americans who have found themselves out of work in the wake of the economic shutdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. But with federal, state and local government coffers strained, the time has come for short-time compensation (STC) and partial unemployment insurance programs to receive a closer look. In this Kenan Insight, we explore how these little-known initiatives can benefit both employees and employers and provide relief to an ailing U.S. economy.
There is no doubt that the COVID-19 crisis has devastated the U.S. economy. But the particulars of this devastation are difficult to gauge, because unique aspects of the of the pandemic distort the data commonly used to assess such situations. In this Kenan Insight, we take a deep dive into the data to learn what it actually tells us about the economic impact of COVID-19, and suggest possibilities for a restart and recovery of the U.S. economy.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put 18 million jobs at small businesses in the U.S. at risk – which could as much as quadruple the nation’s total unemployment rate. The effects of both the coronavirus and recent government relief programs were explored by a panel of Kenan Institute-convened experts during a press briefing held yesterday. The full recording of this briefing—along with a deeper-dive analysis on the specific implications of the financial downturn on small business employment by Kenan Institute Research Director Professor Christian Lundblad and UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Professor Paige Ouimet—is available in this week’s Kenan Insight.