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NEW PAPER

What Immigration Means For U.S. Employment and Wages

Papers • May 2012 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

Our nation’s immigration policy continues to be an issue of debate among policymakers, particularly the impact on the U.S. labor force. The Hamilton Project highlights the economic evidence on what immigration means for U.S. jobs and the economy.

Economic Facts About Taxes: Rates, Revenues and Reform Options Photos

May 3, 2012 • Photo Galleries

On May 3, The Hamilton Project hosted a policy forum on the economic context for tax reform and the economic criteria that should be used when evaluating tax reform options.  As part of the event, the Project released a new policy memo, “A Dozen Facts About Tax Reform,” to help shed light on various aspects of the reform debate. Following opening remarks, former Council of Economic Advisers Chair Martin Feldstein and Lawrence H. Summers, former Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and former U.S. Treasury Secretary, discussed the broad economic case for tax reform. A second panel of experts debatde key principles for a successful tax reform effort, drawing from a range of experiences.  Participants included Business Roundtable President and former Michigan Governor John Engler; Center for American Progress Chair and Counselor John Podesta; NBER President and CEO James Poterba; and Brookings Senior Fellow Alice Rivlin.  After each panel, the speakers took audience questions.

Economic Facts About Taxes: Welcome, Overview of “A Dozen Facts About Tax Reform,” and Roundtable: The Economic Case for Tax Reform

May 3, 2012 • Audio

Former Treasury Secretary and Hamilton Project Advisory Council member Robert E. Rubin welcomes the crowd at the event "Economic Facts About Taxes: Rates, Revenues and Reform Options," followed by an overview of “A Dozen Facts About Tax Reform" by Hamilton Project Policy Director Adam Looney.  Economics Editor of The Economist Zanny Minton Beddoes then moderates a discussion on the broad economic case for tax reform with former Council of Economic Advisers Chair Martin Feldstein and Lawrence H. Summers, former Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and former U.S. Treasury Secretary.
 

Economic Facts About Taxes: Overview of “A Dozen Facts About Tax Reform”

May 3, 2012 • Video

Hamilton Project Policy Director Adam Looney provides an over of the new document “A Dozen Facts About Tax Reform” at the event "Economic Facts About Taxes: Rates, Revenues and Reform Options."

NEW PAPER

A Dozen Economic Facts About Tax Reform

Papers • May 2012 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

To provide an economic context for tax reform, The Hamilton Project has a new paper focusing on the role of our tax system in the long-run budget deficit, global competitiveness, and rising income inequality.

Economic Facts About Taxes: Rates, Revenues and Reform Options

Events • May 3, 2012 • Washington, DC

Fiscal issues will rapidly come to the fore next fall as the federal government faces the looming expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts, the onset of the deficit “trigger,” and another debate on the debt limit. Across the political spectrum, one of the few points on which today’s policymakers can agree is that the tax code is in desperate need of reform. On May 3, The Hamilton Project hosted a policy forum on the economic context for tax reform and the economic criteria that should be used when evaluating tax reform options. 

NEW PAPER

Paying Too Much for Energy? The True Costs of Our Energy Choices

Papers • April 2012 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

In the Spring issue of Daedalus, Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney draw from previous Hamilton Project research to examine the “true social cost” of current energy consumption - nearly three times the amount that appears on utility bills.

NEW PAPER

Just How Progressive is the U.S. Tax Code?

Papers • April 2012 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

As tax time approaches, one focus of debate has been the progressivity of the U.S. tax code. Evidence shows that the current U.S. tax system is less progressive than the tax systems of other industrialized countries, and considerably less progressive today than it was just a few decades ago.

Evolution of the “Job Gap” and Possible Scenarios for Growth

April 6, 2012 • Charts

The Hamilton Project tracks the monthly “job gap,” which is the number of jobs that need to be created in order to return to pre-recession employment levels while still absorbing the workers entering the labor force each month.

The Truth about Taxes: Just About Everyone Pays Them

The Hamilton Project Blog • April 6, 2012

A popular tax myth is that a large segment of Americans do not pay taxes and instead freerideoff of our society.  The Hamilton Project exploresthis myth and finds that virtually allAmericanswill pay some form of taxduring their lifetime. 

NEW PAPER

The Truth about Taxes: Just About Everyone Pays Them

Papers • April 2012 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

A popular tax myth is that a large segment of Americans do not pay taxes and instead free ride off of our society.  The Hamilton Project explores this myth and finds that virtually all Americans will pay some form of tax during their lifetime. 

Understanding the “Jobs Gap” and What it Says About America’s Evolving Workforce

The Hamilton Project Blog • March 9, 2012

The Hamilton Project examines how our nation’s changing demographics may impact the composition of America’s workforce in the years ahead.  By exploring these changes, we can better understand how long it will take the labor market to recover, and what the labor force may look like in the new economy.

NEW PAPER

Understanding the “Jobs Gap” and What it Says About America’s Evolving Workforce

Papers • March 2012 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

The Hamilton Project reexamines the current rate of labor force expansion, and how shifts in labor force participation will decrease the time it will take to close the “jobs gap.” As a result of new methodology based on population estimates, we now project that at a job creation rate of 208,000 per month, it will take until 2020 to close the jobs gap, rather than late 2023 as we had projected with the old method. 

The Marriage Gap:  The Impact of Economic and Technological Change on Marriage Rates

The Hamilton Project Blog • February 3, 2012

The Hamilton Project examines the decline the marriagesover the last 50 years, highlighting thecorrelation between income level and likelihood of marrying. The decline in marriage is concentrated among less-educated, lower-income Americans.

The Marriage Gap:  The Impact of Economic and Technological Change on Marriage Rates

Papers • February 2012 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

The Hamilton Project examines the decline the marriages over the last 50 years, highlighting the correlation between income level and likelihood of marrying. The decline in marriage is concentrated among less-educated, lower-income Americans.

Shrinking Job Opportunities: The Challenge of Putting Americans Back to Work

The Hamilton Project Blog • January 6, 2012

The Hamilton Project compares trends in unemployment duration before and after the Great Recession and finds that the probability of finding new employment is considerably lower today than it was before the recession.

Shrinking Job Opportunities: The Challenge of Putting Americans Back to Work

Papers • January 2012 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

The Hamilton Project compares trends in unemployment duration before and after the Great Recession and finds that the probability of finding new employment is considerably lower today than it was before the recession.

What is Happening to America’s Less-Skilled Workers? The Importance of Education and Training in Today’s Economy

The Hamilton Project Blog • December 2, 2011

The Hamilton Project explores the employment and earnings trends facing America’s less-educated workers over the last few decades, and highlights training and workforce development opportunities that could be part of the policy solution.

What is Happening to America’s Less-Skilled Workers? The Importance of Education and Training in Today’s Economy

Papers • December 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

The Hamilton Project explores the employment and earnings trends facing America’s less-educated workers over the last few decades, and highlights training and workforce development opportunities that could be part of the policy solution.

Impacts of Training Program Earnings by Years After Training

November 30, 2011 • Charts

It is critical that worker training programs be rigorously evaluated so that scare training resources can be targeted toward the most effective programs.

Federal Funding for DOL Training Programs, 1985-2011

November 30, 2011 • Charts

Federal spending on job training programs by the U.S. Department of Labor has gradually fallen since the 1980s, aside from a bump in 2009 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Building America’s Job Skills with Effective Workforce Programs: A Training Strategy to Raise Wages and Increase Work Opportunities

Papers • November 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

Amid the Great Recession and rapid technological changes, both workers with less education and workers who have been displaced from long-tenured jobs face challenges because they lack the particular skills that employers demand for good-paying jobs. In a new Hamilton Project strategy paper, Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney address the importance of developing workers’ skills through training and workforce development programs, and examine newly available evidence on policies that boost job opportunities and wages.

Earnings of Workers Who Lost Their Job in the Great Recession

November 4, 2011 • Charts

Recent research suggests that hardship for dislocated workers extends beyond periods of unemployment.  Once reemployed, workers typically earn significantly less than they did prior to job loss.

Unemployment and Earnings Losses: The Long-Term Impacts of The Great Recession on American Workers

The Hamilton Project Blog • November 4, 2011

The Hamilton Project explores the experiences of workers who lost their jobs during the height of the Great Recession and finds that even those workers who have found new employment often earn significantly less than before.

Unemployment and Earnings Losses: The Long-Term Impacts of The Great Recession on American Workers

Papers • November 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

The Hamilton Project explores the experiences of workers who lost their jobs during the height of the Great Recession and finds that even those workers who have found new employment often earn significantly less than before. 

Change in Family Earnings of Children, 1975-2010

October 7, 2011 • Charts

Over the last 35 years, the opportunity gap for children whose parents are at different ends of the earnings distribution has grown.  Children at the 90th percentile of the distribution of family earnings have experienced a 45 percent increase, while children at the 25th percentile have experienced a decline of over 20 percent.

What Is Happening to America’s Children? A Look At The Widening Opportunity Gap for Today’s Youth

The Hamilton Project Blog • October 7, 2011

Resources available to children can have long-term effects on their quality of life. The Project examines the family earnings devoted to the typical American child and finds that half of children are now worse off than their counterparts 35 years ago.

What Is Happening to America’s Children? A Look At The Widening Opportunity Gap for Today’s Youth

Papers • October 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

Resources available to children can have long-term effects on their quality of life. The Project examines the family earnings devoted to the typical American child and finds that half of children are now worse off than their counterparts 35 years ago.

Annual Earnings of Teachers and Non-Teachers

September 27, 2011 • Charts

Over the last 40 years, the salary gap between teachers and nonteachers has grown by over $10,000.

Average Mathematics Test Scores for 17-Year-Old White and Black Students

September 27, 2011 • Charts

Investments in education have narrowed the black-white skill gap for much of the twentieth century, but has stagnated since the 1980s.

Average Mathematics Test Scores for 15-Year-Olds, OECD Countries

September 27, 2011 • Charts

The United States scores below the OCED average in mathematics, despite spending $3,000 more per student than the OCED average.

Average Math and Reading Test Scores for 17 Year Olds

September 27, 2011 • Charts

Over the last 30 years, math and reading test scores for high school seniors have barely moved.

Improving Student Outcomes: Restoring America’s Education Potential

Papers • September 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

For decades, education has boosted U.S. productivity and earnings, forged a path out of poverty for many families, helped disadvantaged students narrow the learning gap with their peers, and developed a workforce that continues to be among the most productive and innovative on Earth.  However, in recent years educational attainment and performance have stagnated.  In a new strategy paper, The Hamilton Project provides a dual-track approach to improving educational outcomes for K-12 students by addressing structural barriers and implementing short-term cost-effective reforms to improve student performance.

Are We Short-Changing our Future? The Economic Imperative of Attracting Great Teachers

The Hamilton Project Blog • September 22, 2011

America’s workforce needs a strong education system to compete and research demonstrates the power of a good teacher to boost student achievement.  However, hiring and retaining effective teachers has become difficult, partly due to compensation.  In a new policy memo, The Hamilton Project explores the relative salary declines of teachers during the last four decades when compared to other professions.

Are We Short-Changing our Future? The Economic Imperative of Attracting Great Teachers

Papers • September 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

America's workforce needs a strong eduction system to compete and research demonstrates the power of a good teacher to boost student achievement. However, hiring and retaining effective teachers has become difficult, partly due to compensation. In a new policy memo, The Hamilton Project explores the relative salary declines of teachers during the last four decades when compared to other professions.

Decline in Employment Rates by State Since 2007

September 2, 2011 • Charts

While all states have lost jobs during the Great Recession, these losses have not been equally shared across the nation.

Taking the Job Gap to the State Level: A Closer Look at the August Employment Numbers

Papers • September 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

As President Barack Obama prepares to give a major jobs address, Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney examine the “job gap” across the United States, looking at the areas of the country that remain hardest hit by the Great Recession.

Taking the Job Gap to the State Level: A Closer Look at the August Employment Numbers

The Hamilton Project Blog • September 2, 2011

As President Barack Obama prepares to give a major jobs address, Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney examine the “job gap” across the United States, looking at the areas of the country that remain hardest hit by the Great Recession.

Productivity and Compensation in the United States

August 5, 2011 • Charts

In the past 40 years, as the pace of innovation has slowed, American workers have experienced lower growth rates of productivity and compensation.

Deaths from Major Infectious Disease

August 5, 2011 • Charts

Technological and medical innovations have drastically reduced the mortality rate and increased life expectancy in the United States

Post-Secondary Degrees Awarded in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Fields

August 5, 2011 • Charts

The United States lags far behind other countries in training students in the STEM fields that advance scientific and technological innovations.

Cost of Computing Power Equal to an iPad2

August 5, 2011 • Charts

Since the advent of computers, consumers have enjoyed greater bang for their buck as computers have become increasingly powerful.

Increasing Productivity and Boosting Wages: Is Innovation the Answer?

Papers • August 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

Examining data about the current state of the economy and job growth in June, Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney look at the role innovation could play in aiding the faltering economy by increasing productivity, boosting wages, and improving the quality of life for American families.

A Dozen Economic Facts About Innovation

Papers • August 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

During the last century, medical, technical, and business  innovations have driven economic growth, increased wages, and improved living standards in the United States.  In recent years, however, those gains have stagnated.  The Hamilton Project examines the role of innovation in driving the U.S. economy, including its historical importance, the current pace of growth, and opportunities for investments to benefit America’s future.

Increasing Productivity and Boosting Wages: Is Innovation the Answer?

The Hamilton Project Blog • August 5, 2011

Examining data about the current state of the economy and job growth in June, Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney look at the role innovation could play in aiding the faltering economy by increasing productivity, boosting wages, and improving the quality of life for American families.

Trends: Reduced Earnings for Men in America

Papers • July 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

Over the past 40 years, U.S. GDP per capita has more than doubled, but the median male in the 25-64 age group now earns 28 percent less. Drawing on previous work by The Hamilton Project, Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney address some of the workforce challenges plaguing American men.

The Great Recession May Be Over, but American Families Are Working Harder than Ever

The Hamilton Project Blog • July 8, 2011

Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney examine the trend in median earnings for the American family over the last 30 years. They find that the typical American family is earning more, but almost entirely because parents are working more.

Median Earnings and Annual Hours Worked for Two-Parent Families

July 8, 2011 • Charts

Median wages for the American family have increased over the last twenty-five years, but these incresase are largely due to additional hours worked.

The Great Recession May Be Over, but American Families Are Working Harder than Ever

Papers • July 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney examine the trend in median earnings for the American family over the last 30 years. They find that the typical American family is earning more, but almost entirely because parents are working more.

Where is the Best Place to Invest $102,000 — In Stocks, Bonds, or a College Degree?

The Hamilton Project Blog • June 25, 2011

Is college a worthwhile investment?  Hamilton Project director Michael Greenstone and policy director Adam Looney compare the value of a college degree to other investment options and find higher education provides, by far, the greatest rate of return.

Rate of Return of College Compared to Alternative Investments

June 25, 2011 • Charts

Despite continued debate over the value of a college education, data shows that higher education has a much higher rate of return than any other investment.

Where is the Best Place to Invest $102,000 — In Stocks, Bonds, or a College Degree?

Papers • June 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

Is college a worthwhile investment? Hamilton Project Director Michael Greenstone and Policy Director Adam Looney compare the value of a college degree to other investment options and find higher education provides, by far, the greatest rate of return. 

How Do Recent College Grads Really Stack Up? Employment and Earnings for Graduates of the Great Recession

The Hamilton Project Blog • June 3, 2011

As the job market continues to struggle, there has been much debate about whether a college education has been worth the investment for recent graduates. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney examine whether recent college graduates are better off, in terms of employment and earnings, than their counterparts who did not invest in a degree. 

Earnings by Education Level

June 3, 2011 • Charts

In today’s economy, those young adults with a college degree are more likely to be employed and earn higher wages than their peers with a high school diploma only or less.

How Do Recent College Grads Really Stack Up? Employment and Earnings for Graduates of the Great Recession

Papers • June 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

As the job market continues to struggle, there has been much debate about whether a college education has been worth the investment for recent graduates. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney examine whether recent college graduates are better off, in terms of employment and earnings, than their counterparts who did not invest in a degree.

Private and Social Costs of Electricty Generation by Source

May 18, 2011 • Charts

When energy sources are priced, including the social costs – environmental degregation and health risks, different winners and losers come out than when prices are simply those shown at the pump. 

A Strategy for America’s Energy Future: Illuminating Energy’s Full Costs

Papers • May 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

America’s energy choices are built on the prices we see at the pump and our utility bills. Yet these prices mask the social costs arising from those energy choices, including shorter lives, higher health care expenses, a changing climate, and weakened national security. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney provide four principles for reforming America’s energy policies to help level the playing field for all energy sources — moving away from a system that favors energy sources with lower prices at the pump but higher costs to society through health impacts and our ongoing reliance on foreign oil.

America’s Energy Future: New Solutions to Fuel Economic Growth and Prosperity

Events • May 18, 2011 • Washington, DC

America’s current energy system poses long-term threats to national security, health, and the environment. On May 18, The Hamilton Project hosted a forum on America’s energy future, focusing on strategies to give all energy sources equal footing in the marketplace and expand America’s opportunities to utilize cleaner, low-cost sources of energy. 

Counties Not Meeting Clean Air Act Standards

May 6, 2011 • Charts

The map above shows counties designated “non-attainment” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency because their pollution concentrations of specific contaminants exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

We Are What We Breathe: The Impacts of Air Pollution on Employment and Productivity

The Hamilton Project Blog • May 6, 2011

Despite modest improvement in April jobs numbers, the job gap — the number of U.S. jobs that must be created to return to pre-recession levels — is just under 12 million. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney also explore the impact of air pollution on long-term employment and the productivity of American workers.

We Are What We Breathe: The Impacts of Air Pollution on Employment and Productivity

Papers • May 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

Despite modest improvement in April jobs numbers, the job gap — the number of U.S. jobs that must be created to return to pre-recession levels — is just under 12 million. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney also explore the impact of air pollution on long-term employment and the productivity of American workers.

Women in the Workforce: Is Wage Stagnation Catching Up to Them Too?

The Hamilton Project Blog • April 1, 2011

Despite modest improvement in March jobs numbers, the job gap — the number of U.S. jobs that must be created to return to pre-recession levels — is more than 12 million. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney also explore how the median wage of the American woman has stagnated over the last decade.

Women in the Workforce: Is Wage Stagnation Catching Up to Them Too?

Papers • April 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

The Hamilton Project continues its examination of long-term market treds by asking: what has happened to the earnings of women? In addition, we  continue our look at America’s “job gap,” or the number of jobs that the U.S. economy needs to create in order to return to pre-recession employment levels — while also absorbing the 125,000 people who enter the labor force each month.

Have Earnings Actually Declined?

The Hamilton Project Blog • March 4, 2011

Despite modest improvement in February jobs numbers, earnings are still declining and the job gap — the number of U.S. jobs that must be created to return to pre-recession levels — is more than 12 million. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney explore how the median wage of the American male has declined 28 percent since 1969.

Median Annual Earnings Since 1964

March 4, 2011 • Charts

Earnings have declined nearly 28 percent for the median American male worker since 1969.

Have Earnings Actually Declined?

Papers • March 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

The Hamilton Project updates America’s “job gap,” the number of jobs that the U.S. economy needs to create in order to return to pre-recession employment levels while absorbing the 125,000 people who enter the labor force each month. This month we also return to our examination of longer-term labor market trends by looking at the earnings of Americans during the past four decades.

Investing in the Future: An Economic Strategy for State and Local Governments in a Period of Tight Budgets

Papers • February 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

Confronting near-term budget challenges, state and local governments are under tremendous pressure to focus on immediate needs at the expense of long-term investments. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney highlight four policy principles for state and local governments with an emphasis on the importance of infrastructure investments for economic growth and prosperity.

Public Water and Transportation Spending by State and Local Governments

February 25, 2011 • Charts

State and local governments provide most of the funding for critical infrastructure systems, but spending has declined over the last 50 years.

High School and College Completion and Spending per Pupil

February 25, 2011 • Charts

Despite increases in per-student education spending, high school and college completion rates have stagnated over the past 30 years.

State Roads to Economic Recovery: Policies, Pavements, and Partnerships

Events • February 25, 2011 • Washington, DC

The Hamilton Project and the Metropolitan Policy Program held a forum focused on state strategies that can help close budget deficits while also growing state economies and creating much-needed jobs. As part of the event, The Hamilton Project released three new policy papers, as well as a strategy paper, focused on helping state and local governments invest more efficiently in infrastructure to ensure long-term economic competitiveness. 

A Broader Look at the U.S. Employment Situation and the Importance of a Good Education

The Hamilton Project Blog • February 4, 2011

The January employment numbers present mixed evidence about the state of the labor market. While the unemployment rate dropped to 9 percent, payrolls increased by only 36,000 jobs. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney, in a new Hamilton Project examination of the “job gap,” focus on the impact of education on unemployment and the widening gap between the least- and best-educated workers.

Unemployed and Underemployed Workers by Education Level

February 4, 2011 • Charts

In addition to the 14 million Americans officially counted as unemployed, there are over 11 million American workers who are underutilized, underemployed, or have given up seeking work.

A Broader Look at The U.S. Employment Situation and the Importance of a Good Education

Papers • February 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

The January employment numbers, released today by the U.S. Department of Labor, present mixed evidence about the state of the labor market. While the unemployment rate dropped to 9 percent, payrolls were just better than flat, increasing by only 36,000 jobs last month. Much attention is given to the official unemployment rate, which is certainly an important indicator of our employment situation.  But, in fact, the unemployment rate tends to understate the severity of the challenge for American workers in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

Income and Employment, 2000-2010

January 7, 2011 • Charts

In the aftermath of the Great Recession, the employment-to-population ratio remains 6 percentage points lower and income per person is largely unchanged from the beginning of the decade.

New Decade, New Hopes for Job Growth

Papers • January 2011 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

Unemployment fell to 9.4 percent for December, but not enough to absorb new entrants to the workforce and make a dent in the “job gap,” write Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney. As tracked monthly by The Hamilton Project, December’s job gap remains roughly unchanged since October 2010, at a gap of 11.8 million jobs.

New Decade, New Hopes for Job Growth

The Hamilton Project Blog • January 7, 2011

Unemployment fell to 9.4 percent for December, but not enough to absorb new entrants to the workforce and make a dent in the “job gap,” write Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney. As tracked monthly by The Hamilton Project, December’s job gap remains roughly unchanged since October 2010, at a gap of 11.8 million jobs.

Percentage of 30-50 Year-Olds Employed by Sex and Education

December 3, 2010 • Charts

Employment of men with only high school diplomas has fallen considerably in recent years, especially when compared to employment of men with a college degree.

The Problem with Men: A Look at Long-Term Employment Trends

Papers • December 2010 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

November’s weaker-than-expected jobs numbers offer new evidence that little headway has been made at reducing the pool of the unemployed. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney, in a new Hamilton Project examination of the “job gap,” focus on the plight of male workers in the longer-term U.S. employment trends.

The Future of American Jobs, Part II

Events • December 3, 2010 • Washington, DC

The Hamilton Project and the Center for American Progress hosted the second of two conferences addressing the long-term challenges of creating quality jobs in the United States and preparing American workers for those jobs of the future. As part of the event, The Hamilton Project and the Center for American Progress released three targeted policy proposals by outside scholars to deal with the long-term challenges associated with the new global economy.

The Problem with Men: A Look at Long-Term Employment Trends

The Hamilton Project Blog • December 3, 2010

November’s weaker-than-expected jobs numbers offer new evidence that little headway has been made at reducing the pool of the unemployed. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney, in a new Hamilton Project examination of the “job gap,” focus on the plight of male workers in the longer-term U.S. employment trends.

Duration of Unemployment, 1980-2010

November 5, 2010 • Charts

Today's out-of-work Americans are experiencing longer spells of unemployment than in any recent recession. In October 2010, half of all unemployed workers had been unemployed for more than 21 weeks.

The Great Recession’s Toll on Long-Term Unemployment

Papers • November 2010 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

The October employment numbers, released today by the Labor Department, show tentative progress toward recovery. The U.S. economy is creating jobs for the first time in four months, with an increase of 151,000 jobs last month. The private sector added 159,000 jobs, continuing ten straight months of private sector job growth.

The Great Recession’s Toll on Long-Term Unemployment

The Hamilton Project Blog • November 5, 2010

The October employment numbers, released today by the Labor Department, show tentative progress toward recovery. The U.S. economy is creating jobs for the first time in four months, with an increase of 151,000 jobs last month. The private sector added 159,000 jobs, continuing ten straight months of private sector job growth.

An Economic Strategy to Renew American Communities

Papers • October 2010 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

When hit by recessions or other economic shocks, some communities have persistently low rates of economic growth that cause them to fall behind the rest of the country. The recovery period for these distressed communities is longer and more painful than necessary. To address this situation, The Hamilton Project proposes a three-pronged approach: attract businesses to distressed areas, invest in displaced workers, and match workers to jobs.

Change in Employment-to-Population Ratio Following 1980 Recession

October 13, 2010 • Charts

Employment gaps created during the 1980-1982 recessions still remain today.

Comparing the Hardest Hit Counties in the 1980-1982 Recessions and the 2007-2009 Recessions

October 13, 2010 • Charts

The hardest hit counties in the 1980-1982 recessions differed dramatically from the hardest hit counties in the Great Recession from 2007-2009. 

Income Per Capita in Hardest-Hit Counties During the 1980-1982 Recessions

October 13, 2010 • Charts

The hardest hit counties during the 1980-1982 recessions experienced sharper per-capita income declines during the recessions, as well as slower growth following the national recovery. 

New Challenges for a Nationwide Recovery

Papers • October 2010 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

Today’s release of September’s jobs numbers confirms what we all know: too many American workers remain unemployed. As the government reported, the U.S. economy lost 95,000 jobs in September as a decline in government employment outweighed modest private-sector gains.

New Challenges for a Nationwide Recovery

The Hamilton Project Blog • October 8, 2010

The U.S. economy lost 95,000 jobs in September, but the real puncture to the American Dream is within the communities that confront the permanent loss of industries, a glut of empty homes, and high rates of unemployment but able workers. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney update their monthly jobs gap numbers and preview an economic strategy to aid economically distressed communities that The Hamilton Project will release at an event next week.

High-Skill Immigration to the United States

September 28, 2010 • Charts

America is issuing a declining number of visas for high-skill workers.

Immigration to the United States

September 28, 2010 • Charts

The United States experienced two waves of immigration over the last century.  The first peaked in 1910, while the second stemmed from immigration reform in 1965 and continues today.

Net Taxpayer Cost or Benefit for U.S. Born and Immigrants by Age

September 28, 2010 • Charts

Immigrants and the U.S.-born have similar fiscal footprints, paying more in taxes than they consume in services over their lifetime.

Impact of Immigration on Wages of U.S. Born Workers

September 28, 2010 • Charts

Immigration may have a modest positive effect on the average wage of U.S.-born workers.

Education of U.S.-Born and Foreign-Born in the American Workforce

September 28, 2010 • Charts

Educational attainment of foreign-born workers in the American workforce varies widely.

Ten Economic Facts about Immigration

Papers • September 2010 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

This policy memo explores some of the questions frequently raised around immigration in the United States and provides facts drawn from publicly available data sets and the academic literature.

The Long-term Effects of the Great Recession for America’s Youth

Papers • September 2010 • Adam Looney, Michael Greenstone

The August employment numbers reflect the slow pace of the economy’s journey toward recovery. Overall, the U.S. economy continued to shed jobs as employment fell by 54,000 last month. In the private sector, however, businesses added 67,000 jobs, continuing a trend of lukewarm growth that began eight months ago.

Change in Employment-to-Population Ratio by Age

September 3, 2010 • Charts

Workers ages 16-24 experienced the most drastic drop in employment during the Great Recession of 2007-2009.

The Long-term Effects of the Great Recession for America’s Youth

The Hamilton Project Blog • September 3, 2010

The U.S. economy continues to shed jobs as employment fell by 54,000 last month. Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney analyze the August employment numbers to see how the Great Recession has impacted different age groups, specifically younger workers.

Changes in Employment-to-Population Ratio During U.S. Recessions

August 12, 2010 • Charts

The fall in employment from the 2007-2009 Great Recession is the most severe fall during a recession since World War II.