Simon Mongey awarded the 2026 Frisch Medal Simon Mongey, University of Minnesota Economics affiliated faculty, awarded the biennial 2026 Frisch Medal for groundbreaking labor market research.

z.umn.edu/b8lu Congratulations to Simon Mongey, affiliated faculty at UMN Economics, on receiving the prestigious 2026 Frisch Medal!
His groundbreaking research on firm and worker dynamics in frictional labor markets is recognized as one of the most outstanding applied papers in economics. #EconSky

Debt, Demographics, and the Future of U.S. Fiscal Sustainability As debt climbs and the population ages, can the U.S. maintain fiscal sustainability? Two leading economists explore the road ahead.

z.umn.edu/b6oy Can the U.S. maintain fiscal sustainability as debt rises and the population ages?
Join economists Jesús Fernández-Villaverde (UPenn) & Hannes Malmberg (UMN) for our hybrid Spring Roundtable on April 16, 5-6:30 PM.

Remembering Christopher Sims, Pioneering Macroeconomist (1942-2026) Chris Sims, Nobel laureate and one of Minnesota's legendary "Four Horsemen" who transformed macroeconomics, past away last weekend.

z.umn.edu/b5ki
Nobel laureate Christopher Sims (1942-2026) reshaped macroeconomics during 20 years at Minnesota. His vector autoregression framework gave economists new tools to trace how shocks affect the economy over time. He will be greatly missed.
#EconSky

Minnesota Workshop in Macroeconomic Theory MN Macro 2026 The Minnesota Workshop in Macroeconomic Theory is a workshop on dynamic macroeconomic theory sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the University of Minnesota and the Federal Re...

sites.google.com/umn.edu/minn... Call for Papers! The Minnesota Workshop in Macroeconomic Theory, sponsored by NSF, the University of Minnesota, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, is accepting submissions. Join us July 29–31. Deadline: April 24. #EconSky #callforpapers

BBC Audio | CrowdScience | Do multiple choice questions make us biased? CrowdScience listener Griffith asks why a multiple choice quiz answer is rarely ‘a’.

www.bbc.com/audio/play/w...
Why do we make bad bets? Prof. Rachel Croson explains the gambler's fallacy & hot hand fallacy on BBC's Crowd Science podcast—from Vegas roulette wheels to your investment portfolio.

Office Hours Podcast Tackles Trump Era Economic Policy in Real Time Office Hours podcast transforms economic research into real-time policy analysis as Trump administration reshapes trade, climate, and fiscal policy.

z.umn.edu/b0mx The headlines arrive faster than most economists can process: sweeping tariffs, agencies restructured, international agreements abandoned, debt ceilings debated. For the 3 season of Office Hours, @hellerhurwicz.bsky.social decided to lean into the chaos rather than away from it.

www.fox9.com/video/fmc-d4...

www.fox9.com/video/fmc-d4... What are the economic implications of cutting all federal aid to Minnesota? Prof. Kjetil Storesletten spoke with Fox 9 to analyze what the proposed February 1 cutoff of federal aid would mean for the state's residents and economy.

#econsky #minnesotanews

Who's to blame for Minnesota's budget imbalance? - MinnPost MinnPost asked local economists about what’s driving those trends and how concerned the state should be about the projected budget imbalance.

z.umn.edu/axui What's driving Minnesota's projected $3B budget shortfall? @minnpost.bsky.social asked economists including Prof. VV Chari and Econ alum Mario Solis-Garcia (Macalester) to weigh in on spending pressures, revenue uncertainty, and federal policy risks.

Economic indicators raise concerns about Minnesota’s economy - MinnPost Minnesota’s marquee economic indicators such as unemployment still appear strong, but under-the-hood, economists see signs of stress.

Prof. Kjetil Storesletten breaks down why headline unemployment numbers don’t tell the full story. "Aggregates hide pain. When you look inside, the bottom half of workers see a much less rosy labor market than the unemployment rate suggests."

Read the full article from Minnpost.

TERESA BALESTRINI Welcome! I am a PhD candidate in Economics at the University of Minnesota and will be on the 2025-2026 job market. My fields of interest are Macroeconomics and International Economics, with a focus ...

How does IMF intervention after sovereign default help debtor country?

UMN @umn-econ.bsky.social JMC Teresa Balestrini evaluates differences post default for countries that restructure within IMF program versus those that directly negotiate with creditors 1990–2014.

www.teresabalestrini.com

Designing Cash Transfers in the Presence of Children's Human Capital Formation, Joseph Mullins, Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute Working Paper

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 https://bit.ly/3WJHGhC

Central Bank independence: Critical for Economic Growth and Stability? Is central bank independence at risk? Former Minneapolis Fed leaders Gary Stern & Art Rolnick join Hoover's John Cochrane to debate this critical question.

cla.umn.edu/economics/ne... Is central bank independence under threat? 🏦
Former Minneapolis Fed President Gary Stern & Research Director Art Rolnick join Hoover's John Cochrane to debate what's at stake as governments push for more control over monetary policy.

#econsky #monetarypolicy

Building a New Pipeline: BEE Program's First Year Success Reshapes Undergraduate Economics Education The Fed-University partnership has proven it can produce Nobel Prize-winning research at the highest levels. Now it's proving it can build the pipeline from the ground up.

Undergraduate level is where economics loses talent. Fed-Minnesota partnership's BEE program proves engagement and mentorship can transform the pipeline. cla.umn.edu/economics/ne...

Unlike a 'little black book,' the Fed's beige one spills the country's economic secrets The Federal Reserve releases its Beige Book several times a year to provide a summary of economic activity, labor markets, prices and other factors.

www.kare11.com/article/news... Prof. @tkehoe.bsky.social on @kare11.bsky.social analyzing the Fed's latest Beige Book: "Rough times are ahead." Kehoe warns about tariff uncertainty: "When we have no idea what tariffs will look like in six months, we can't make plans."

Why "break-even" employment has seen a dramatic shift Break-even employment is a sort of balance figure between the number of job seekers and the number of jobs available.

www.marketplace.org/story/2025/1... V.V. Chari on @marketplace.org explaining a major labor market shift:
"Break-even employment" dropped from 250K jobs/month in 2023 to just 30K today. The reason? Changing migration patterns have reshaped the balance between job seekers and available jobs.

Gary Hanson smiles sitting down with a wall of books behind him.

Congrats to PhD alum Gary Hansen on his election to the NBER Board of Directors!

Gary earned his PhD from UMN in '86 under Edward Prescott, developing his groundbreaking theory of indivisible labor. Now a leading macroeconomist at UCLA, he continues shaping the field.

From Seminar Room to Healthcare Markets: Professor Anran Li's Journey to Minnesota A chance encounter with policy research sparked a journey across continents. Meet new Associate Professor Anran Li and her quest to fix healthcare markets.

A chance encounter with policy research sparked a journey across continents. Meet our newest Associate Professor Anran Li and her quest to fix healthcare markets.

cla.umn.edu/economics/ne...

Highlighting outstanding work by UMN Economics professors Ellen McGrattan and Anmol Bhandari! Their analysis challenges common assumptions about entrepreneurial earnings. We are proud to have such impactful researchers in our department.

The Fed is keeping a close eye on inflation numbers out later this week The expectation is that the Fed will cut rates — but what if inflation spiked in August?

www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...
July inflation hit 2.7%
But UMN economist V.V. Chari says it would take a HUGE jump in August data to change the Fed's mind about cutting rates next week.
"If they saw something like 3.5%, 4% inflation... that might raise alarm bells."

US Debt-to-GDP of 250% Won’t Push Up Rates: Jackson Hole Paper US government debt could reach 250% of gross domestic product without putting upward pressure on interest rates, according to a paper presented at the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole conference.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
UMN Prof. Hannes Malmberg co-authored research presented at the Fed's Jackson Hole conference showing US debt could reach 250% of GDP without raising interest rates—but only with major fiscal adjustments. #EconSky #FiscalPolicy

New study compares economic experiences of China and Mexico after they opened to international trade and foreign investment by Xing Xu, PhD student at UMN Econ ‪
@umn-econ.bsky.social‬ and research analyst at Minneapolis Fed @minneapolisfed.bsky.social and me:
www.minneapolisfed.org/research/sta...

From Brexit to Sustainability: Economics Study Abroad Program Adapts to Global Changes Economics students discover how three weeks in London transforms their understanding of global markets and shapes international career dreams.

What do you gain when you travel abroad? University of Minnesota economics students discovered the answer in London. Read how three weeks transformed their understanding of global economics.

#EconSky #economics

cla.umn.edu/economics/ne...

'This one freaks me out as an economist': Experts alarmed by Trump's firing of BLS leader Economists say firing a top official for revisions to a jobs report sends a bad message and could destroy trust in data that's central to the economy.

Did you catch UMN Professor V.V. Chari on @kare11.bsky.social ?
"'Rigged?' This is about the most outrageous accusation that anybody can make about the way the statistics are developed by these professionals. These are not statistics produced by a single person sitting at her desk."
z.umn.edu/alqx

New research from UMN professor Kyle Herkenhoff challenges common narratives about private equity’s impact on workers. Tracking 2.5M workers at 3,600 PE-backed firms, they find wages fall 18% after 3 years but only for workers who leave the firm.

#EconSky #LaborEconomics

cepr.org/voxeu/column...

What do you think? Should taxpayers fund arenas?

Wolves, Lynx new owners pledge to stay in the state, arena upgrade Marc Lore said in a video posted by the team on Wednesday, “We are not moving the team ever." Alex Rodriguez also suggested an arena upgrade is ahead.

UMN economics professor Art Rolnick spoke to ‪@kstptv.bsky.social‬ on the Target Center funding debate: “I think the only argument that’s going to hold any weight is to threaten to move. Once they say they’re not moving, the game's over.”

#Timberwolves #EconSky
kstp.com/kstp-news/to...

Season preview- Trade wars, tradeoffs, and turbulence: Examining economics in the Trump-era The four-episode series delves into the policy priorities of Trump's second term, from Federal Reserve independence to inflation, foreign trade, and the U.S. relationship with China.

As uncertainty about the U.S.' economic outlook grows, this season's Office Hours podcast explores the impact of the Trump administration's policies. Tune in for insights on some of the most pressing economic issues from leading Minnesota economists.
#Economics #EconSky #EconPolicy

One of the Best Reasons to be an Econ Major: Inside UMN's Economics Community Discover how Economics at Minnesota, in partnership with the Federal Reserve, offers students unique opportunities that set them up with real-world experiences.

What sets UMN Economics apart? Our exceptional community and partnerships, including unique collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

With multiple degree pathways and real-world learning opportunities, we’re preparing the next generation of economics professionals. #EconSky

The fiscal impact of the bill will be big, but it won’t be beautiful Trillions estimated to be added to a federal debt that’s already unsustainable.

Professor VV Chari in the @startribune.com on the legislation that recently passed the U.S. House: “We’re now out of the pandemic. This is a time for us to pursue perhaps a more responsible fiscal policy, but we seem to be going in exactly the wrong direction.”
www.startribune.com/the-fiscal-i...