Center for Business and Economic Research - Ball State University


CBER Data Center
Projects and PublicationsEconomic IndicatorsWeekly CommentaryCommunity Asset InventoryManufacturing Scorecard

About

Commentaries are published weekly and distributed through the Indianapolis Business Journal and many other print and online publications. Disclaimer

RSS Feed

Disclaimer

The views expressed in these commentaries do not reflect those of Ball State University or the Center for Business and Economic Research.

Recent

Two Key Economic Lessons in One BillHoosiers face trade-offs and opportunity costs in the wake of SEA1.

Time to Fix Economic Development PolicyAllocating tax dollars to land development won’t cause economic growth.

The Unanticipated Effects of SB1Businesses, governments and households may all feel the effects.

The Stupidest of PoliciesThis whipsawing of tariff rates has unnerved financial markets, which on Wednesday, were toying with a liquidity crisis.

View archives

Top Tags

jobs and employment 261
economics 201
state and local government 188
education 186
indiana 171
economic development 171
budget and spending 145
taxes 144
law and public policy 142
workforce and human capital 139
Browse all tags
Reporter / Admin Login

CBER Weekly Commentaries - 2023

  • Select a year →
  • 2025
  • 2024
  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009
  • 2008
  • 2007
  • 2006
  • 2005
  • 2004
  • 2003
  • 2002
  • 2001
January 1, 2023 The CHIPS Act Was Wise LegislationSemiconductors are a key part of national defense, among other industries.
January 8, 2023 Remote Work Is Indiana’s Biggest Opportunity and RiskThere are now more Hoosiers in remote work than there are in manufacturing and logistics combined.
January 15, 2023 Three Types of Public DebtAll types of public debt are effectively transfers of wealth from the future to our present selves.
January 22, 2023 Some Labor Market Facts You Won’t Read ElsewhereIndiana is simply not producing a 21st century workforce.
January 29, 2023 The 2023 ForecastThe reason for worry about a recession is the Federal Reserve’s response to high inflation.
February 5, 2023 HB1004 Would Restrict Hospital MonopoliesIndiana’s not-for-profit hospitals are among the most profitable businesses in the United States.
February 12, 2023 What Is Happening to Labor Supply?Wishing to employ someone is not the same as labor demand.
February 19, 2023 Balancing the Federal BudgetThere’s no silver bullet that will return our debt to comfortable levels.
February 26, 2023 Subsidizing Builders Fixes the Wrong Housing ProblemRemote workers and their families can now live wherever they wish.
March 5, 2023 The Amish in IndianaIt is hard not to draw similarities between the Amish and newer immigrant groups.
March 12, 2023 Remote Work and Labor MarketsThere are more remote workers today than there are immigrants in the U.S.
March 19, 2023 Remote Work Through the Eyes of Three 20-SomethingsRemote work is here to stay.
March 26, 2023 Bank Failures Warn of Deeper Economic ProblemsDuring the Great Recession, a whopping 0.014 percent of banks were closed by the FDIC.
April 2, 2023 The Five Skills Employers Tell Me They NeedI’ve asked countless numbers of leaders in business, government, military, and organizations.
April 9, 2023 Some More Truth About Hospital MonopoliesWhy do not-for-profit hospitals show annual profits of 20 to 30 percent?
April 16, 2023 What New AI Might Do to Labor MarketsThe human advantage lies in creative intelligence and social organization.
April 23, 2023 Economic Opportunity Is Now in High Quality of Life PlacesAs Americans grew richer, we began to value more than just economic opportunity in our location choices.
April 30, 2023 A Good Post-COVID Run for the Hoosier EconomyIndiana entered COVID with an already weakening economy.
May 7, 2023 Money Illusion and InflationPrice fluctuation could cause inflation to last longer, but it didn’t cause the inflation, it simply extends the pain.
May 14, 2023 Re-Thinking Economic Development A large share of the most mobile families—perhaps half—no longer need to live near where they work.
May 21, 2023 Big Savings for Ending Prevailing WageMy statistical models show that repealing state prevailing wage laws save taxpayers money.
May 28, 2023 Educational Attainment, the 21st Century Fund and the Future of SchoolingIndiana ranks 42nd in educational attainment.
June 4, 2023 Increasing Importance of Summer JobsThese jobs offer an opportunity to learn as well as earn money.
June 11, 2023 “Of Boys and Men” by Richard Reeves Is a Must ReadThe gender gap in education is larger than any racial or ethnic gap.
June 18, 2023 New Labor Market Data Is Eye Opening But Under UsedThere’s been more data created on labor and education in the past 25 years than in the preceding 25 centuries.
June 25, 2023 Growing and Declining Places Have Different ChallengesThe Midwest came of age at a time when natural amenities and recreational opportunities played only a modest role in prosperity or migration.
July 2, 2023 July 4th and American-Style ConservatismA true American conservative cannot believe that government should promote that faith, or treat those of other faiths differently.
July 9, 2023 Human Capital Is the Source of ProsperitySuccessful places are both good for business and good for families.
July 16, 2023 Job Creation Numbers Are DeceptiveOnly a small percentage of new jobs are due to state and local economic development efforts.
July 23, 2023 Populists Are Wrong—Life Is Better TodayMany problems arise when comparing the past to today.
July 30, 2023 The Midwest Doesn’t Have a Housing Crisis, It Has a Neighborhood CrisisIn many areas, a new home cannot sell for the cost of construction.
August 6, 2023 Looking Back at Mistakes with a Critical EyeI was not alone in making these mistakes, but there’s no comfort in being wrong with a crowd.
August 13, 2023 A More Thoughtful Understanding of Quality of LifeRunning through a hypothetical list of amenities is the worst way to think about improving quality of life.
August 20, 2023 Face the Fact: Factory Jobs Aren’t Coming BackFor every factory job Indiana lost since 1973, other industries created seven more jobs.
August 27, 2023 Indiana’s Hospital Monopolies Are WorseningBetween 2019 and 2021, the average American saw a $10 increase in hospital charges, compared to an increase of $175 per Hoosier.
September 3, 2023 Work From Home Is Here to StayAt least 1 million Hoosiers work from home at least one day per week.
September 10, 2023 China Is a Poor and Failing NationChina is getting in the way of its own economic growth.
September 17, 2023 Thoughts About Trump’s Tax PlanIn considering any tax change, first ask how it might eventually reduce the debt.
September 24, 2023 Don’t Expect the UAW to GrowThere is no evidence of a resurgence in the UAW or other industrial unions today.
October 1, 2023 Another Stupid Government ShutdownShutdowns are often a demonstration of clownsmanship, not statesmanship.
October 8, 2023 Falling Behind Mississippi Indiana now sends 52.9 percent of high school graduates to college, while Mississippi sends 81 percent.
October 15, 2023 An Exogenous Economic Shock from HamasArmed conflict is always economically damaging but may spur long-term growth.
October 22, 2023 Economic Perceptions Driven by Educational and Geographic Differences in ProsperityThe geography of economic opportunity is shrinking.
October 29, 2023 The Association for Business and Economic ResearchResearch discovers something no one knows about a problem.
November 5, 2023 Municipal Elections Are Critical to Your ProsperityIn Indiana’s cities, like most cities nationwide, the problems mayors face aren’t partisan issues.
November 12, 2023 Defend Democracies on This Veteran’s DayOur Constitution offers the highest form of a liberal democracy.
November 19, 2023 Are We in a Period of New Union Activism?The bigger effect of unions appears to be how they influence labor markets outside the firms in which they’ve organized.
November 26, 2023 The Best of ThanksgivingsWhether in times of peace or distress, we always find time to give thanks.
December 3, 2023 The ‘Great Discordance’ of Economic Fact and FeelingThat Americans appear to prefer higher unemployment over historically mild inflation is not something any of us should be proud of.
December 10, 2023 Manufacturing Matters, but Not for Creating JobsManufacturing is important because it is the source of a significant share of regional productivity growth.
December 17, 2023 Great Economic Holiday GiftsThe end of year data is giving economy watchers plenty cause for holiday cheer.
December 24, 2023 Leaving Behind Dickensian PovertyThis Christmas holiday is not about worldly wealth, but it is a time of giving thanks for the many blessings we enjoy.
December 31, 2023 Education After High School Is the Path to Middle-Class LifeJobs of the future require at least some college training.

© Center for Business and Economic Research, Ball State University

About Ball State CBER Data Center

Ball State CBER Data Center is one-stop shop for economic data including demographics, education, health, and social capital. Our easy-to-use, visual web tools offer data collection and analysis for grant writers, economic developers, policy makers, and the general public.

Ball State CBER Data Center (cberdata.org) is a product of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University. CBER's mission is to conduct relevant and timely public policy research on a wide range of economic issues affecting the state and nation. Learn more.

Terms of Service

Center for Business and Economic Research

Ball State University • Whitinger Business Building, room 149
2000 W. University Ave.
Muncie, IN 47306-0360
Phone:
765-285-5926
Email:
cber@bsu.edu
Website:
www.bsu.edu/cber
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/BallStateCBER
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/BallStateCBER
Close