Michigan’s Economic Future
Featuring Dr. Charles Ballard, Professor of Economics at Michigan State University
Monday, October 24, 7:30pm – Lear Auditorium, UTLC, Lawrence Tech
Michigan’s manufacturing-based economy was a powerhouse in the middle of the 20th century. But manufacturing has accounted for a shrinking portion of the economy for half a century. As a result, while incomes in Michigan were above the national average throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, they have fallen below the national average in most years since then. This is partly because Michigan lags behind the national average in many aspects of educational attainment. If Michigan is to realize its potential for a brighter economic future, it will need to increase the skills of its workforce. Professor Ballard will discuss the policies that will help to achieve that brighter future.
Charles Ballard has been on the Economics faculty at Michigan State University since 1983, when he received his Ph.D. from Stanford University. In 2007, he became Director of the State of the State Survey in MSU’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research. Also in 2007, he won the Outstanding Teacher Award in MSU’s College of Social Science. In 2011, he joined the Board of Directors of the Michigan League for Human Services. He has served as a consultant with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Health & Human Services, and Treasury, and with research institutes in Australia, Denmark, and Finland. His books include Michigan at the Millennium and Michigan’s Economic Future.