Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute
The Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute at the Minneapolis Fed supports research to expand economic opportunity and inclusive growth for all. Reposts ≠ endorsement.
- We are excited to announce 3 new members of our advisory board: Thomas S. Dee @stanfordeducation.bsky.social, Emi Nakamura Berkeley Economics, and Joseph P. Price BYU. Our advisors are an important resource who bridge rigorous research and policy conversations in their work. bit.ly/4qo8O1Y
- It sounds like science fiction, but making comparisons across individuals who are not concurrently alive is useful for evaluating many kinds of policies. New working paper studies how to conduct such as welfare assessments: bit.ly/45PRSKp
- "The current discourse around AI mostly centers on the notion of jobs disappearing. But that seems to capture only part of the picture," @lukasfreund.bsky.social & Lukas Mann observe. Read about their research on how jobs may transform and wages respond: bit.ly/49GzZyO
- “A really striking fact about U.S. cities is that some neighborhoods are very poor compared to others, and the neighborhoods that are poor tend to stay poor." @philadelphiafed.bsky.social Bryan Stuart's research helps explain why: bit.ly/3MdPHJH
- In their new Institute Working Paper @rebecca-jack.bsky.social, @btimpe.bsky.social, and Danny Tannenbaum provide the most comprehensive picture to date on the length and timing of parental leave-taking in the U.S. bit.ly/4aR9gS6
- LLMs appear poised to take over the task of processing and analyzing records. How will workers who perform that task and jobs that involve that task respond? Our new article looks at how #AI may change the labor market: bit.ly/49GzZyO
- What percent of people do you think have worked at a parent’s employer at least once by the age of 30? Read @AlexAlbright’s Inquiring Minds Q&A to find out one of her favorite statistics. bit.ly/3KcMxVT
- Automation results in a fair amount of labor market churn. As the mix of tasks at different jobs changes, workers will move to jobs that make the best use of their skill set. New article looks at how labor market may change as AI transforms jobs: bit.ly/49GzZyO
- Understanding the U.S. labor market requires more than just the unemployment rate. Long-term unemployment (joblessness for 27 weeks or more) may offer deeper insights into economic dynamics and worker well-being. We explore in For All: bit.ly/42DHhk3
- Visiting scholar Yewande Olapade is taking the skills she has learned from supporting @minneapolisfed.bsky.social's large bank “stress test” program to study how the movement of money shapes society. Learn more about her research from @jeffhorwich.bsky.social: bit.ly/42I0iSo
- Legal environments can affect people's economic choices and outcomes. A new working paper looks at how this applies in the context of couple's decisions about household structure, work, and investment in children. Read the paper: bit.ly/4oWvrd6
- Paid and unpaid parental leave benefits in the U.S. are often brief, and yet actual leave-taking is even briefer: Average leave taken by mothers lasts 7.2 weeks. For fathers, it's 0.6 weeks. Read the new Institute working paper for more: bit.ly/4aR9gS6
- What are the costs and benefits of cash assistance programs to households with children? The calculation should include the long-run effects on the skills and development of the children, Institute consultant @jmullins.bsky.social @umn-econ.bsky.social explains. bit.ly/3WJHGhC
- Econ teachers, inspire your students with our latest Inquiring Minds Q&A. Institute economist @allbriteallday.bsky.social describes what led her to study economics and which econ concepts come up most in everyday life: bit.ly/3KcMxVT
- One way to think about income inequality is to compare a group’s share of earners to its share of earnings. For ex, men are 51% of earners in IDDA but receive 61% of income (gap of+10 ppts). Hispanic earners are 15.4% but earn 11.5% (gap of -3.9 ppts). bit.ly/46XR1Fu
- Join the livestream now for reflections on Bill Spriggs’ contributions to economic policy. Institute Director Abigail Wozniak moderates with Neel Kashkari, Lawrence Mishel, Economic Policy Institute; William Rodgers III, Kasey Buckles, and Robynn Cox: bit.ly/3sRd0d9
- #ASSA2026 attendees, join the Institute, LERA & @neaecon.bsky.social in celebrating the many contributions of Bill Spriggs to economics at two paper sessions plus luncheon plenary. Program committee Abigail Wozniak, Robynn Cox, Jesse Rothstein, and Omari Swinton. bit.ly/4pkJN7M
- Former visiting scholar Isaac Sorkin develops a method to match high-tenure workers within the same firm as a way to quantify disparities in earnings and employment. bit.ly/4iX85Cy
- Automation, inflation, and market power are reshaping labor markets. In wide-ranging Q&A, Institute advisor and Chicago Booth economist Erik Hurst explores what these forces mean for workers, wages, and policy in the long run. bit.ly/43d3pSs
- The Federal Reserve’s dual mandate is to promote maximum employment + price stability. But how do we know when we've reached max employment? The unemployment rate remains key but other indicators may point to changes in structure of labor market. Read more bit.ly/4s1UtKm
- In a new Institute working paper, Isaac Sorkin Stanford Econ develops a framework to quantify differences in earnings and employment that are not plausibly due to differences in productivity. Read the paper: bit.ly/4iX85Cy
- Education plays a large role in human capital mobility. @lalthoff.bsky.social, Harriet Brookes Gray & Hugo Reichard show mothers played a crucial role in shaping children's human capital prior to mass schooling. Their influence declined as more went to school. bit.ly/4anugzC
- While the costs of a college degree continue to rise, the financial return has plateaued. Research from Leila Bengali, Robert Valletta & Cindy Zhao shows that demand, rather than supply, is the main factor behind this stagnation. Read more: bit.ly/4mUUNaZ
- How does the choice between marriage and cohabitation relate to children’s educational attainment and intergenerational mobility? New from @efiadamopoulou.bsky.social, @annehannusch.bsky.social, Karen Kopecky, and Tim Obermeier. bit.ly/4oWvrd6
- Between 2007 and 2008, median household income increased 5.1% in the US. Then came the Great Recession. #IDDA shows the recovery looks different across the states of the Federal Reserve's Ninth District: ND and SD saw substantial growth, WI less so. bit.ly/46XR1Fu
- Many state governments and private employers have expanded paid or unpaid parental leave benefits. But how much leave do U.S. parents actually take? Not a whole lot, @rebecca-jack.bsky.social, @btimpe.bsky.social, and @dtannenbaum.bsky.social show in a new paper. bit.ly/4aR9gS6
- American neighborhoods are segregated by income. What does that mean for the future of income inequality, for rich and poor neighborhoods, and for the children who grow up in them? From senior writer @lisacamnermckay.bsky.social: bit.ly/3MdPHJH
- What would income inequality look like if households did not sort by income and instead were randomly relocated across neighborhoods? Income inequality growth between 1980 and 2010 would be ~1/3rd lower. Our article explains: bit.ly/3MdPHJH
- #ASSA2026 attendees, join the Institute, LERA & @neaecon.bsky.social in celebrating the many contributions of Bill Spriggs to economics at two paper sessions plus luncheon plenary. Program committee Abigail Wozniak, Robynn Cox, Jesse Rothstein, and Omari Swinton. bit.ly/4pkJN7M
- “Aggregate statistics can tell you a lot about the economy that you might not naturally know from your own experience or anecdotes.” Read our latest Inquiring Minds Q&A with Institute economist @allbriteallday.bsky.social: bit.ly/3KcMxVT
- What factors have shaped Americans’ intergenerational mobility? A new Institute working paper from former visiting scholars @lalthoff.bsky.social and Hugo Reichardt with Harriet Brookes Gay studies the evolution of mobility in the U.S. from 1850 to 1950. bit.ly/4anugzC
- Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute!
- @assameeting.bsky.social attendees, join the Institute, LERA, & @neaecon.bsky.social in celebrating the many contributions of Bill Spriggs to econ profession & policy at a luncheon on Jan 4 and two paper sessions. Search “Spriggs" at bit.ly/4ohwkg4 for details
- Long-term #unemployment can be a desperate situation. Benefits expire, savings deplete, and debts grow. Our data dive in the latest For All looks at the share of unemployed workers who eventually enter long-term unemployment: bit.ly/47vuClR
- First-time moms not only cut back on hours--they move to progressively lower-paying firms during the decade after birth. Meanwhile, new dads keep climbing the ladder. More findings from Institute visiting scholar @btimpe.bsky.social & co-authors. bit.ly/4mONNvK
- The role of AI in job searches and potential policy shifts could impact long-term unemployment. LTU is a particularly worrisome outcome, so its trends, fluctuations, and future are important to understand. @AbigailWozniak & @agoodmanbacon dig in: bit.ly/42DHhk3
- Over nearly 4 decades, Bill Spriggs made significant contributions to labor economics, economic policy, & economics profession. At @assameeting.bsky.social, the Institute, LERA, and @neaecon.bsky.social are co-sponsoring sessions to honor and celebrate his many contributions. bit.ly/4pkJN7M
- In 2010, there were 1.2 job postings requiring a college degree for every 1 posting that did not. By 2020, the ratio was 0.6. Our new article from senior writer @lisacamnermckay.bsky.social looks at how the labor market for college grads has changed: bit.ly/4mUUNaZ
- Visiting scholar Katherine Richard grew up in a neighborhood where people of different means mingled. That awareness of different degrees of economic challenge has helped shape her research agenda as an economist. From @tuuyentran.bsky.social in new For All: bit.ly/4hmbOZW
- It has been an active year in the U.S. economy. Watching for clues to the economy’s direction is important in many sectors and of course at the Fed. But the drivers of economic opportunity and inclusive growth often only come into view over time. bit.ly/475QG5i
- Many thanks to the presenters, discussants, and audience who made our fifth annual Institute Research Conference a success! The event video and paper PDFs are available on our website: bit.ly/4gSFopm
- A mother's time and household income both shape children's skill outcomes. To evaluate cash assistance programs, then, we need to account for the children's future outcomes. This is @jmullins.bsky.social @umn-econ.bsky.social project in a new Institute Working Paper bit.ly/3WJHGhC
- Watch the Institute Research Conference live online: bit.ly/4gSFopm @gizemkosar.bsky.social @newyorkfed.bsky.social
- What do earnings changes look like for residents of neighborhoods that are better off or less well off? Watch Bryan Stuart discuss his research at the Institute Research Conference: bit.ly/4gSFopm
- LIVE NOW! Watch the Institute Research Conference online: bit.ly/4gSFopm
- Watch the Institute Research Conference live online: bit.ly/4gSFopm
- What does wealth mobility look like over people’s lifetimes? Richard Audoly and his coauthors find that broadly speaking, there are four paths of wealth trajectory. Watch now: bit.ly/4gSFopm
- Tune in to the Institute Research Conference online here: bit.ly/4gSFopm
- Individuals' credit scores are quite stable, Nathan Hendren says. Differences in credit scores emerge early in life and persist over time. Watch live: bit.ly/3sRd0d9
- Watch the Institute Research Conference online bit.ly/4gSFopm @nhendren.bsky.social
