Economic Innovation Group

Yesterday, EIG launched The American Worker Project, a new initiative aimed at forging a much-needed consensus on the true conditions and challenges faced by American workers. Today, we dive deeper into the discussion with responses to the project’s findings from two distinguished voices: • Paul Krugman of the New York Times; and • Michael R. Strain of the American Enterprise Institute Their insights enrich our understanding and stimulate discussion on how to best support and empower American workers. Stay tuned as we feature additional thought leaders in the coming weeks, including Steven Davis, Jason Furman, and more, as they contribute their expertise to this important conversation. Explore the American Worker Project and read the latest essays here: eig.org/american-worker

American workers fuel the world's most innovative economy, yet an understanding of how they are doing is obscured by a fog of conflicting narratives and misconceptions. What's the reality? Contrary to the doom and gloom often portrayed, our research shows that American workers are better off than ever before across an array of important measures: • The median worker is better paid and better educated.  • Employers have never offered better or more diverse benefits.  • Long-running surveys show that Americans today are broadly satisfied with their work at levels comparable to prior peak periods. • Moreover, nearly 90 percent are satisfied with their job security—a near-record share. Despite these gains, progress has slowed since 1980, especially compared to the booming post-war years. This dynamic is a key focus of our new American Worker Project. The project aims to forge a new consensus about the condition of American workers. Along the way, we will present new analyses, guest essays from leading experts, survey data on worker sentiment, and practical ideas for how policymakers can accelerate progress where it has fallen short. Tomorrow, economists Paul Krugman and Michael R. Strain respond to our findings in the first two guest essays. Look out for contributions from Steven Davis, Jason Furman, Marianne Wanamaker, Skanda Amarnath, and more in the coming weeks. Explore the project here: eig.org/american-worker

A new national survey from the Economic Innovation Group and Echelon Insights reveals overwhelming support among American voters for increasing high-skilled immigration. Key findings from our survey include: • Three-quarters of American voters support increasing high-skilled immigration. • High-skilled immigration has bipartisan backing, including 86 percent of Biden voters and 71 percent of Trump voters. • More than two-thirds of voters across swing states support increasing high-skilled immigration. • Support for high-skilled immigration remains high despite 67 percent of voters rating economic conditions in the U.S. as “poor” or “not so good.” This strong support for high-skilled immigration presents a unique opportunity for lawmakers to advance skilled immigration policies that unite diverse constituencies and strengthen the U.S. economy. Explore the findings here: https://lnkd.in/ek6tyBzu

Did you know that foreign-born talent is driving groundbreaking innovation in strategic industries? Immigrants are the authors or co-authors of 30% of all patents within these critical sectors, despite constituting only 20% of the workforce. Their impact is profound and shaping the landscape of innovation. Want to know more about the importance of immigrants in our workforce and their contributions to our future? Read more about it at: https://lnkd.in/eiUJqRMt Economic Innovation Group Connor O'Brien Adam Ozimek

“You never know which firm is going to be the next growth firm. So the more shots on goal you have, the better.” The United States hasn't seen this much entrepreneurial ferment in decades. Great to speak with The Economist to capture this important moment:

Skilled immigrants drive economic growth and innovation in the United States. Yet the benefits have been concentrated in coastal metros, bypassing the struggling regions that would benefit most by welcoming an influx of talent. Our new policy brief outlines how a Heartland Visa program would work in practice and illuminates the many ways it would benefit American workers, communities, and the broader economy. The brief maps the 1,700+ counties experiencing economic and demographic decline, demonstrating both a clear need for skilled workers and a capacity to absorb them. Read the brief to learn more about how a Heartland Visa program can reshape America’s economic landscape for the better: https://lnkd.in/eg529Zch

Chandra Briggman, President and CEO of Activation Capital, and the Honorable DJ Nordquist, a member of the board of the Virginia Biotechnology Research Partnership Authority, attended the "Power of Place: Unlocking Growth and Opportunity for the Next Decade" conference last week in Washington, D.C. Hosted by the Economic Innovation Group (EIG), this invitation-only gathering brought together leading experts and practitioners to discuss forging a more dynamic and inclusive U.S. economy. Participation in the EIG event is part of Activation Capital’s ongoing mission to drive equitable, resilient, place-based economic development and job growth in our region. 

Great analysis from Economic Innovation Group on the importance of foreign workers to US strategically significant industries:

New piece for Economic Innovation Group: Foreign-born workers make up a disproportionate share of the workforce in industries key to economic and national security. As we debate industrial policy options and how to out-compete China and other adversaries, we cannot leave immigration reform off the table. https://lnkd.in/eczT6BcF

Utah leads the country with the highest percentage of its population living in prosperous communities, according to the Distressed Community Index from the Economic Innovation Group. Over half of Utahns live in prosperous zip codes and 0.4% in distressed areas. https://lnkd.in/giRimyKH