Universal Childcare Boosts Mothers’ Careers, Firms’ Bottom Lines
Universal childcare reform implemented in Quebec, Canada, in the late 1990s boosted the careers and earnings of new mothers and produced positive outcomes for some companies as well.
2023 Grand Challenge
Workforce Disrupted: Seeking the Labor Market’s Next Equilibrium
From quiet quitting to the Great Resignation, the COVID-19 pandemic has driven massive shifts in what workers expect from their jobs. The corporate demand for talent has evolved to reflect new markets and the need for different worker profiles, while many employees across the globe have discovered the benefits of remote work – altering their views toward existing employers as well as their desires for future careers. These changes – combined with an overheated economy – have generated massive dislocation characterized by a severe labor shortage and skills mismatch. So, where does the world’s workforce go from here?
More On Workforce Disrupted
What the UAW Strike Could Mean for the Automotive Supply Chain
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.
Electric Vehicles: New Cars, New Regions and New Challenges
The increasing demand for electric cars is creating new opportunities for jobs and innovation in new locations, but there are differing views of the potential effect on overall auto sector jobs.
Powerful Demographic Trends and Their Economic Effects
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Professor Jim Johnson, director of the Urban Investment Strategies Center, defines three groups facing challenges as companies return to the office and updates his forecast of demographic gale force winds.
Manufacturing: Regional Strengths and Shifts (Redux)
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.
Skills in the Workforce: Why They Matter for Economies
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.
Will Generative AI Disproportionately Affect the Jobs of Women?
Generative AI such as ChatGPT holds the potential to alter many kinds of work, but analysis of a new report shows the occupations most likely to be affected are populated by more women than men.
Distinguished Fellows
The Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellows, appointed on an annual basis, comprise an exemplary set of global scholars committed to leveraging their individual expertise, thought leadership, research and networks to further the institute’s efforts to examine – and drive solutions to – the most complex and timely issues facing business and the economy today. The 2025 Distinguished Fellows work to support the Kenan Institute’s exploration of the skills gap.
John Haltiwanger
Dudley and Louisa Dillard Professor of Economics, University of Maryland, and 2023 Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow
Angelica Leigh
Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations, Duke Fuqua School of Business, and 2023 Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow
Arvind Malhotra
H. Allen Andrew Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, and 2023 Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow
Ricardo Perez-Truglia
Associate Professor, University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, and 2023 Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow
Thomas Stith
Senior Director, NC Economic Forecasting; Professor of the Practice, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
Tara Watson
Professor of Economics, Williams College, and 2023 Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow
Frontiers of Business Conference:
Workforce Disrupted
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven massive shifts in the global labor market, with repercussions continuing to be felt by both firms and workers today. While employers navigate the demand for an increasingly skilled and agile workforce, employees advocate for greater flexibility and a desire for their companies to proactively reflect their own values. Is it possible to address the needs of employers and employees alike – particularly amid persistent uncertainty about future economic conditions and the market power of workers? And how might workers and their firms most productively contribute to shaping a new and modern labor force?
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.
Kenan Institute Grand Challenge
The Kenan Institute’s annual Grand Challenge is a concerted yearlong effort to examine and drive solutions to the most pressing issues facing business and the economy.
Explorations of these topics deliver insights that shape policy, strengthen America’s workforce and promote business growth.