Press Room

Home : Press Room : Media & Articles

Media & Articles

Media Coverage
Financial Naivete and Greed Led to Meltdown

Richard Cordray, the Ohio treasurer, spoke recently to the trustees of the University of Cincinnati’s Economics Center for Education & Research about the need for financial education for our citizenry, especially our high school students. He used the region’s problems with mortgage foreclosures and subprime loans as examples of the cost of ignorance about personal finance.

Pulse on the Economy, Research
Media Coverage
Low Unemployment Rate Defies Conventional Logic

Last month, I heard several well-founded and optimistic forecasts about the future of employment and growth in our local economy. If true, these forecasts will break a trend of bleak growth data since 1990. The statistics show that the Cincinnati Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has lagged behind the nation and other U.S. Metropolitan areas since 1990. The reasons for this poor performance -- including the industrial make-up and slow population growth -- have been widely discussed.

Pulse on the Economy, Research
Media Coverage
Global Economy Influencing Our Growth, Inflation

Alan Greenspan had a pretty good run of success as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve System. During most of his tenure (1987-2006), the U.S experienced low unemployment rates, good economic growth and low inflation. Mr. Greenspan can’t take all of the credit, however.

Pulse on the Economy, Research
Media Coverage
Degree's Benefits Extend Beyond Earnings

Looking for a good investment that has outperformed almost anything else for the past several decades? Try education. The returns to higher education have been well documented – they are broad and substantial.

Pulse on the Economy, Research
Media Coverage
The Poor Aren't Poor Forever

The question of the distribution of household income has become a popular topic. We hear about the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer, and middle class families needing relief from “wars” waged against them. How are we as U.S. citizens and Cincinnatians doing in terms of our household incomes?

Pulse on the Economy, Research
Media Coverage
Attracting New Employers

Last month, my colleague Adrijana Kowatsch and I had lunch with Neil Hensley, the Senior Director of Economic Development for the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce. In cooperation with more than 30 local economic development partners, the Chamber leads the effort to retain and expand local business and to attract new employers to the Cincinnati Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Neil explained to us their strategy and their results.

Pulse on the Economy, Research
Media Coverage
Despite job losses, ‘made in USA’ a growing category

It is clear that since 2000 the number of jobs in the manufacturing sector has decreased sharply. It is true for Cincinnati—an 18% loss; and it is true for the nation as a whole—a 20% loss. These large decreases raise concerns that our manufacturing sector is deteriorating. Collective fingers are pointed at the flood of imported goods from China and the off-shoring of services to India—both stemming from the availability of cheap labor.

Pulse on the Economy, Research
Media Coverage
Behind the Census: Connected Communities

Publications of the U.S. Census Bureau statistics are not likely to be on best-seller lists, but they can stimulate thoughtful reflections. The Bureau’s recent population estimates for Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) places the 15-county Cincinnati MSA as the largest in Ohio. Our population is growing slowly, but mainly in places outside of the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

Pulse on the Economy, Research
Media Coverage
Economic Inclusion Benefits Entire Area

Since the 1980s the unemployment rate in the Cincinnati region has fallen from 7.4 percent to 4.7 percent. This remarkable decrease in the unemployment rate is largely due to vibrant employment growth, 80 percent of which was created by small businesses.

Pulse on the Economy, Research
Media Coverage
Battle Lines Drawn: Hands-on or Hands-off?

Was last year the first time you heard the term “sub-prime”? In 2008, the term of the year could be moral hazard. Moral hazard, a term used by economists for many years, arises when individuals or institutions act less carefully because they are protected from paying the full consequences of their actions. For example, an individual with insurance against automobile theft may be less vigilant about locking his car because the costs of theft are partially borne by the insurance company.

Pulse on the Economy, Research