Hardly Working with Brent Orrell

Ben Wildavsky on the German Model of Dual-Studies

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 10:30:00 -0500

Ben Wildavsky is a veteran higher education strategist and writer, and host of the Higher Ed Spotlight podcast. He brings decades of experience in journalism and education policy, including leadership roles at Strada Education Network, the College Board, and US News & World Report. He is the author of The Career Arts: Making the Most of College, Credentials, and Connections and an award-winning expert on education-to-workforce initiatives. In this episode of Hardly Working we explore the German model of dual studies, a unique blend of vocational training and academic education, and examine its implications for the US as industries continue to evolve in the face of technological change. Ben's insights, drawn from years of leadership in education, offer valuable lessons on the future of workforce development.

Mentioned in the Episode:

Germany Jumps on Degree Apprenticeships

National Center for the Apprenticeship Degree

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company

The Career Arts: Making the Most of College, Credentials & Connections

Robert Lerman on the Role of Apprenticeships in the American Economy

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 10:30:00 -0500

Robert Lerman is a research fellow at the Urban Institute and the co-founder of Apprenticeships for America, where he is dedicated to expanding opportunities for lifelong learning and ensuring that apprenticeships are a cornerstone of America’s educational landscape. Through his prolific research and advocacy, we examine the role of apprenticeships in our economy, successful policy examples in Europe, and the impact of AI and technological changes.

Mentioned in the episode:

Apprenticeships for America

Skills-Based Hiring

National Apprenticeship Resource Hub

The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. 2024 Prize in Education

Stuart Andreason on Skills-Based Hiring

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 10:30:00 -0500

Stuart Andreason is the Executive Director of Programs at the Burning Glass Institute where he leads efforts in research and engagement on workforce innovation, higher education, and economic mobility. Through his personal experience and his work in skills-based hiring, we look at vocation in career, skills signals, and role of technology in the hiring process.

Mentioned in the episode:

Burning Glass Institute

Skills-Based Hiring: The Long Road from Pronouncements to Practice

How Advanced Data Systems Can Do More to Drive Economic Mobility

Kerry McKittrick on Education, Career Navigation, and Workforce Development

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 10:30:00 -0500

Kerry McKittrick, in her work as co-director of The Project on Workforce at Harvard, looks into different aspects of the relationship between workforce development and careers. In this episode of Hardly Working, we dive into three different reports that McKittrick has authored recently.

Mentioned in the episode:

The College-to-Jobs Initiative: Exploring the intersection of higher education and the workforce

College-to-Jobs Map

Unlocking Economic Prosperity: Career Navigation in a Time of Rapid Change

Workforce Strategies for New Industrial Policies: Governors’ Emerging Solutions

David Hernandez on Creating a Domestic Microprocessor Manufacturing Labor Force

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 10:30:00 -0500

Description:

This week on Hardly Working, Brent Orrell talks with David Hernandez, Vice President of Education at IPC, the Global Association for Electronics Manufacturing.

Brent and David discuss domestic electronics manufacturing, workforce education and training, and the global supply chain.

Mentioned During the Show:

IPC International, Inc.

The CHIPS and Science Act

Addressing Rural Economic Development With Kevin R. Kosar

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 10:30:00 -0500

On July 22, Brent Orrell from AEI and Tony Pipa from Brookings hosted a discussion about Casa Grande Valley Farms, an agricultural cooperative from the New Deal era that faced challenges and eventually failed. AEI's Kevin R. Kosar, who has republished a book on the project, joined the conversation to discuss the lessons this historical case offers for modern federal rural economic development, especially in the context of recent legislative investments like the CHIPS and Science Act.

Mentioned in the episode:

Tony Pipa (Brookings)

Kevin R. Kosar (AEI)

Casa Grande Valley Farms

The Government Project by Edward C. Banfield

Cooperative model

The Great Depression

CHIPS and Science Act

No Child Left Behind

USAID

Russ Roberts on "Wild Problems"

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 10:30:00 -0500

Russ Roberts, President of Shalem College in Jerusalem and host of the Econtalk podcast, discusses his book, “Wild Problems: A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us. The book discusses Robert’s approach to problems that can’t be solved with normal economics analysis. In this episode, Brent and Russ also discuss the influences Russ had growing up and the advice he has for young people today.

Mentioned in the Episode

Wild Problems by Russ Roberts

Shalem College in Jerusalem

It’s a Wonderful Loaf Poem

Keynes vs. Hayek Rap Battle

The Price of Everything by Russ Roberts

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Kentucky Community College Using AI to Train Peer Support Specialists

Sally Satel and Keith Humphreys on the Opioid Epidemic

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 10:31:00 -0500

On July 8, AEI’s Brent Orrell hosted the fifth event in the “On the Front Porch” series with the Brookings Institution’s Tony Pipa featuring Stanford University Professor Keith Humphreys and AEI’s Sally Satel, two experts in opioid treatment and the societal effects of drug abuse in rural areas. They discuss the factors that led to the opioid crisis and the challenges in resolving it.

Mentioned in the Episode

Tony Pipa (Brookings)

Keith Humphreys (Stanford)

Sally Satel (AEI)

Pavlovian conditioning

Origins of the Opioid Crisis and its Enduring Impacts by Abby Alpert et. al

Death in Mud Lick Book by Eric Eyre

Dr. Art Van Zee

Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism by Anne Case and Angus Deaton

Golden Leaf Foundation

Brad Wilcox on Marriage and Family Stability

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 27 Jun 2024 10:30:00 -0500

This week on Hardly Working, Brent Orrell talks with AEI Senior Fellow Brad Wilcox. Wilcox’s recent book Get Married: Why Americans Should Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families and Save Civilization explores the importance of marriage in society. Brent and Wilcox discuss how marriage promotes healthy families and why declines in marriage rates are so alarming. They also touch on how marriage and family structure impact the workforce and explore the particular challenges facing young men, such as family instability and low workforce participation.

Mentioned in this episode

Richard Reeves

Raj Chetty

Growing Up With a Single Parent

Nicholas Eberstadt

Fatherless America

Richard Hanania

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Daniel Susskind on the Growth Dilemma

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 10:30:00 -0500

Americans are grappling with the complexities of economic growth, technology, and their impacts on society. This week, Brent talks with Oxford University economist Daniel Susskind, who explores these themes in his latest book Growth: A Reckoning. Together, Brent and Susskind discuss the historical context of growth, the role of technological advancements, and Susskind’s views on the need for policies that better align economic incentives with social values.

Mentioned in this Episode

Tax treatment of labor versus capital

John Maynard Keynes

Simon Kuznets

The Stern Review

Scott Winship on the Wage-Productivity Paradox

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 30 May 2024 10:30:00 -0500

Americans’ views on the economy have soured in recent years, often seemingly disconnected with the realities of work and growth in incomes. One particularly pernicious meme, found on both the left and the right, is that economic growth has not translated into higher wages for American workers. This week on Hardly Working, Brent sits down with Scott Winship, who dispels this myth in his recent report, “Understanding Trends in Worker Pay over the Past 50 Years.” Brent and Scott discuss the changing dynamics of the economy, the shifting demand for skills, and how we can expand opportunity within the world’s largest and most dynamic economy.

Mentioned in this Episode

John Tamny on the End of Work

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 16 May 2024 10:30:00 -0500

In a world where the traditional boundaries of work are being redrawn, the interplay between work and personal satisfaction, a sense of purpose, and meaning is rapidly evolving. This week on Hardly Working, Brent sits down with John Tamny, editor of RealClearMarkets and president of the Parkview Institute. They discuss Tamny’s 2018 book The End of Work: Why Your Passion Can Become Your Job, which envisions a world where material abundance frees all of us up to pursue our passions at work.

Carol Graham on the Power of Hope

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 10:30:00 -0500

Contemporary differences between rural and urban areas in America have their roots in long-term demographic, economic, technological, and social factors. Brent and the Brookings Institution’s Tony Pipa are hosting conversations “On the Front Porch” with authors of recent research on issues facing rural America. These discussions explore the unique challenges and opportunities facing rural America and consider policy options to promote development and opportunity.

Today, we bring you a recent conversation with economist Carol Graham. Graham’s recent book The Power of Hope: How the Science of Well-Being Can Save Us from Despair discusses the role that hope plays in supporting the development of individuals and communities in America.

Jim Pethokoukis on Conservative Futurism

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:30:00 -0500

As technology marches on, what kind of world are we moving towards? According to AEI senior fellow Jim Pethokoukis, it’s an abundant and prosperous one, at least potentially. So long as we play our cards right–and embrace what he calls an “UpWing” technology and growth policies we will reap the benefits of what many find to be destabilizing, disorienting change.

This week on Hardly Working, Brent speaks with Pethokoukis about his book The Conservative Futurist: How to Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised and how we can best manage the steps toward the UpWing future.

Mentioned in this episode

The Third Century: America's Resurgence in the Asian Era

Prophet of Innovation

Vikram Mansharamani on Why to Be a Generalist

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:30:00 -0500

In a world of specialists, generalists sometimes seem like people without a country. That may be changing. In an age of specialized–and increasingly powerful– AI tools, going broad rather than narrow may increasingly be valuable. Today on Hardly Working, Vikram Mansharamani returns to the podcast to discuss his personal and professional journey as a self-described generalist. His recent memoir The Making of a Generalist narrates his journey from a kid curious about everything to one of the nation’s most sought-after thinkers and advisors on questions of calling and career. We hope you enjoy this conversation.

What Rural Voters Think: A Conversation with Nick Jacobs

AEI Podcasts — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 10:30:00 -0500

Divides between rural and urban America have their roots in longstanding demographic, economic, technological, and social factors. In a new event series, AEI’s Brent Orrell and the Brookings Institution’s Tony Pipa are hosting a series of conversations “On the Front Porch” with authors of recent research on issues facing rural America.

These discussions explore the unique challenges and opportunities facing rural America and consider policy options to promote development and opportunity. Today on Hardly Working, we bring you the first of these events, a conversation with Nicholas F. Jacobs, the author of the recent book The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of America, which examines the state of politics in rural America.

Orrell, Pipa, and Jacobs consider the book’s central claim that rural Americans have in recent years combined a deep sense of connection to place with increasingly nationalized policy and political concerns to form a distinct voting bloc. They also discuss the history of rural America; the social, cultural, and economic forces that have affected it in recent years; and the popular notion of a stark rural-urban divide. Overall, they emphasize the importance of dispelling myths about rural America to overcome distrust and disunity.

Mentioned in this Episode

Reimagining Rural Policy Initiative

General Social Survey

Omaha Platform of 1892

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

Federalism

American Exchange Project

Robert Schwartz and Rachel Lipson on Community Colleges and Economic Mobility

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 10:30:00 -0500

In recent years, confidence in higher education has plummeted. This decline has prompted a vigorous debate on the role of all types of post-secondary education.

In their recent book America’s Hidden Economic Engines: How Community Colleges Can Drive Shared Prosperity, Robert B. Schwartz and Rachel Lipson make the case for the value of community colleges. Surveying five case studies across the US–in Ohio, Virginia, Arizona, Texas, and Mississippi–they argue that community colleges serve as “engines” of social mobility for individuals and communities. Their research shows that community colleges have proven remarkably effective at mitigating economic inequality and promoting social engagement and economic development.

Today, Brent sits down with Lipson and Schwartz to discuss what their research means for students and policymakers.

Mentioned in this episode

Year Up

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

Pathways to Prosperity Network

Lorain County Community College

Pima Community College

Keith Sonderling on AI and the Workforce

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 10:30:00 -0500

As artificial intelligence (AI) bounds ahead, many are rightfully concerned about the risks and ethical issues it raises. Perhaps some of the most practical of these is the potential that AI will be biased against minority populations because of deficiencies in the data used to build it. If true, this would have serious implications for human resources and hiring.

Today, Brent sits down with Keith Sonderling, a commissioner on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC. Sonderling delves into the challenges and opportunities presented by the integration of AI into the workplace, particularly in hiring and employment decisions. And he emphasizes the complexity of AI and the difficulty – yet necessity – of regulating it so that it can benefit everyone.

We hope you enjoy this conversation.

Mentioned in this Episode

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Fair Labor Standards Act

Family Medical Leave Act

Goldman Sachs on AI’s Impact on the Labor Market

World Economic Forum on AI’s Impact on the Labor Market

New York Local Law 144

European Union AI Act

Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs

Elizabeth Currid-Halkett on Rural America

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 10:30:00 -0500

Many urban Americans have come to believe that there’s a growing chasm separating urban and rural America. While urban America bounds ahead, rural America, many assume, is being left behind, struggling with material and spiritual impoverishment, and cultural confusion.

This week on Hardly Working, Brent talks with University of Southern California professor Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, who dispels some of the myths about the so-called urban-rural divide. Currid-Halkett and Brent discuss her fantastic book The Overlooked Americans: The Resilience of Our Rural Towns and What it Means For Our Country, which Brent reviewed for the Dispatch in September. As you’ll hear, rural America is doing a lot better than you might think.

Mentioned in this episode

Jane Jacobs

University of Chicago General Social Survey

Raj Chetty

Posse Foundation

American Exchange Project

Times/Siena Poll on Trump's advantage in battleground states

Ben Wildavsky on the Career Arts

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 10:45:00 -0500

Regrettably, the debate about post-secondary education has devolved into just another culture war issue with one camp saying “everyone go to college” and another saying “skip college learn a trade.”

Today, Brent sits down with Ben Wildavsky, a visiting scholar at the University of Virginia’s School of Education and Human Development, who challenges this false dichotomy. In his recent book “The Career Arts,” Wildavsky argues that education, job, and career success require integrating broad-based skills (such as those acquired through a liberal arts and social science education) with more narrow, technical skills (such as those acquired through credential programs). Such integration, Wildavsky contends, supports well-rounded and resilient workers who can more easily adapt to an unpredictable and rapidly changing economy.

Mentioned in this Episode

Strada Education Foundation

College wage premium

Larry Katz

Tony Carnevale

Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce

Project Basta

Climb Higher

Western Governors University

Point Loma Nazarene University

Seth Bodnar, president, University of Montana

Society for Human Research Management

Skills-based hiring

Michael Chui on Generative AI

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:30:00 -0500

Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing at breakneck speed. Michael Chui, a partner at the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), leads research on how this technology is reshaping business, the economy, and society more broadly. According to MGI, the next wave of AI-generated productivity improvements will send shockwaves through the labor market as it reaches–and surpasses–human-level ability across a wide range of skills but ultimately make the entire world wealthier and healthier. We hope you enjoy this conversation.

Mentioned in this Episode

McKinsey Global Institute (MGI)

MGI report: The Economic Potential of Generative AI

Accenture report: Strategy at the Pace of Technology

Study on AI's capacity for theory of mind

John Maynard Keynes

Chris Stirewalt on Appalachia

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 10:30:00 -0500

Today, we continue to explore Appalachia with Chris Stirewalt, a senior fellow at AEI. Stirewalt, who grew up in Wheeling, West Virginia, speaks to Brent about the unique culture and values of Appalachia, the role that strong families and institutions play in the region’s success, and potential solutions to the region’s challenges, from its opioid epidemic to educational “brain drain.” He also takes us through much of the history of the region, offering deep insight into the region’s identity. As you’ll hear, Stirewalt is optimistic about Appalachia and confident that the region can overcome its most difficult challenges.

Mentioned in this Episode

More than a Paycheck

Deaths of despair

Anne Case and Angus Deaton

Jay Rockefeller

Robert Byrd

Big White Ghetto by Kevin Williams

Randy Moss

West Virginia Hills by Reverend David King

Aaron Renn on Appalachia

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 10:30:00 -0500

The media has told us a very straightforward, and depressing, story about Appalachia: it is a region that is being left behind as the rest of the U.S. economy chugs on; it’s a destitute, hopeless place without good jobs, and filled with communities in decline.

In his recent report on the region, Aaron M. Renn, a senior fellow at American Reformer, a Protestant nonprofit, complicates this picture. Appalachia, Renn shows, is no monolith (it consists of a diversity of areas with their challenges and identities); it has a rich cultural heritage, especially in music and the arts and natural beauty; and, while it faces its share of problems, it has tremendous opportunities for growth and several trends working in its favor. Today, Brent speaks with Renn about this much-maligned region, offering an insightful perspective on a region that has a crucial role to play in boosting social mobility for millions of Americans.

Mentioned in this Episode

The Future of Appalachia by Aaron Renn

Joel Kotkin

Joelkotkin.com

Open and Closed Networks

Appalachia on Our Mind by Henry Shapiro

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

Systemic Disadvantage

Our Kids by Robert Putnam

Harriet McDonald and Jennifer Mitchell on the Doe Fund

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 10:30:00 -0500

In cities across America, homelessness, poverty, crime, addiction, and mental illness are perennial, and deeply intertwined, problems. The New York City-based Doe Fund, however, has made real progress on these challenges. Emphasizing work and personal responsibility, the fund has served struggling and at-risk individuals for nearly 40 years.

In this episode, Brent sits down with the Doe Fund’s outgoing President and CEO, Harriet McDonald, and its incoming leader, Jennifer Mitchell. They discuss the Fund’s model and track record of success, offering valuable lessons for government, nonprofits, and individuals who aspire to support vulnerable populations.

Mentioned in this Episode

George McDonald

Ready, Willing, and Able

Sector-based training

Tom Davenport and Steven Miller on Human-Machine Collaboration

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:30:00 -0500

From tech companies to healthcare providers and fast food services, organizations are deploying AI technologies to boost productivity and improve service. As these technologies filter into the economy and workplace, a host of questions are arising: will AI replace human labor? How will new technology affect the nature of work? How can we equip workers for the future and help them adapt to change?

In their recent book Working with AI: Real Stories of Human-Machine Collaboration, management and technology experts Tom Davenport and Steven Miller explore these questions through real-world case studies. Pushing back against the growing anxiety over AI’s impact on work, Davenport and Miller contend that AI will not be a job destroyer, but a job-enhancer, a tool that will largely make work better–not only more productive but also more fulfilling and even more accessible–for most workers.

In this episode, Davenport and Miller join Brent to discuss their book, offering a vision of the future of work in which AI and other “smart” technologies complement human labor–and make us richer and more productive in the process.

Mentioned in this Episode

AI life insurance underwriting

Salesforce

European AI Regulation

Lump of labor fallacy

DBS Bank's use of generative AI

Eric Brynjolfsson

Samuel Gregg on the Next American Economy

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 10:30:00 -0500

From Elizabeth Warren to former president Trump, actors on both the political left and right show increasing willingness to expand the role of government in the country’s economic affairs. Skepticism of free markets, long confined to the left, is now in vogue across the political spectrum, fueling a renewed interest in industrial policy and trade protectionism.

Samuel Gregg, a distinguished fellow in political economy at the American Institute for Economic Research and an Affiliate Scholar at the Acton Institute, pushes back against these trends and what he calls “state capitalism.” In this episode, Gregg joins Brent to discuss his recent book The Next American Economy, which is a forceful defense of free markets and the moral and historical foundations of economic policy in the broader context of American values and history.

Mentioned in this Episode

Adam Smith’s moral and political philosophy

The Theory of Moral Sentiments

The Wealth of Nations

Michael Novak

Patrick Deneen

Sohrab Ahmari

Uncertainty & Technology: The Adaptability Imperative of Automation

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 10:30:00 -0500

As AI permeates our world, many are forecasting transformational impacts on work and the economy. With AI, the future is highly uncertain, but it's imperative that we prepare workers to the best of our ability today. In this episode, we bring you a live event with Brent and Shane Tews, a nonresident senior fellow at AEI and head of AEI’s Tech Policy Center, on the intersection of AI, skills, and the workforce. Here, Brent and Shane speak to AEI’s 2023 Summer Honors students and offer advice on how future workers like them can thrive in an AI-driven world.

Mentioned in the Episode

UPenn/OpenAI 2023 study on exposure to AI

OECD Employment Outlook 2023: AI and the Labor Market

Polanyi’s paradox

Stanford University 2023 study on use of AI in call centers

The Age of AI: And Our Human Future (2021 book)

Precautionary principle

McKinsey & Company 2023 study on generative AI

Does Big Tech Need a Reboot?

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 10:30:00 -0500

In this episode, we invite you to listen in on a recent AEI event on the book System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot (Harper Academic, 2021). On June 22, 2023, AEI’s Brent Orrell and Shane Tews were joined by Rob Reich of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and Jeremy M. Weinstein of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies to discuss their book, which they co-authored along with their fellow Stanford professor Mehran Sahami.

The panelists discuss the challenges that Big Tech in the 21st century—particularly artificial intelligence—poses to democracy. They explore the dangers of the "optimizing" mindset that competition in technology encourages; the trade-offs between the values of privacy, safety, agency, and productivity; the rise of misinformation and disinformation; and issues of power concentration and regulatory capture in the technology sector.

Mentioned in the Episode

System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot

Rob Reich

Mehran Sahami

Jeremy Weinstein

Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies

Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI

“Get Rich U.” in the New Yorker

DoNotPay - Your AI Consumer Champion

Facebook “Connect the World” Memo

Sen. Schumer’s SAFE Innovation Framework

AI Bill of Rights

NIST AI Risk Management Framework

The Precautionary Principle

EU AI Act

Workforce Futures Initiative Event Rebroadcast

AEI Podcasts — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 10:30:00 -0500

In this episode, we invite you to listen in on a Workforce Futures Initiative (WFI) event from February 2023. WFI is a collaboration between the American Enterprise Institute, the Brookings Institution, and the Harvard Kennedy School Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy that analyzes the latest research on various aspects of the workforce development system to inform policy at the federal, state, and local levels.

In this event, Brent Orrell is joined by leading workforce experts Harry Holzer, Greg Wright, and Rachel Lipson to discuss the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), sector-based training programs, community colleges and their connection to the workforce, and labor market data information.

Mentioned in the Episode

Workforce Futures Initiative

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)

Trade Adjustment Assistance for Community College Program

Good Jobs Challenge

Social Innovation Fund

Matt Sigelman, Burning Glass Institute

Julia Lane, NYU

Rich Hendra, MDRC

ASAP program, CUNY

Anne Kress, Northern Virginia Community College

Harry Holzer 2020 report on short-term postsecondary certificate programs

Higher Ed Act

Larry Katz, Harvard University

100th Episode Special: Hardly Working Highlights

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 10:30:00 -0500

For our 100th episode, we look back at some favorite moments in our podcast's history.

You'll hear clips from conversations about the future of work with Jamie Merisotis; male worklessness with my colleague Nicholas Eberstadt; happiness and civic engagement with my colleague Ryan Streeter; thinking for yourself with author and Harvard lecturer Vikram Mansharamani; and identifying talent with renowned economist Tyler Cowen.

Whether you're a new member of our community or you've been with us since the start, we know you'll love these clips. We hope this look-back inspires you to revisit episodes or dive into them for the first time. One hundred episodes in the books; here's to 100 more!

Joseph Fuller on Delivering on Degrees

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 10:30:00 -0500

Joe Fuller, a Nonresident Senior Fellow at AEI and Professor at Harvard Business School, discusses two new reports, Delivering on Degrees and The Partnership Imperative. The first examines the effectiveness of programs that facilitate the transition from postsecondary education to employment and finds programs such as career coaching and experiential coursework can improve persistence in training and employment outcomes. The second report explores how partnerships between community colleges and employers can help address the skills gap.

Mentioned in the Episode

Joseph B. Fuller AEI Profile

Joseph B. Fuller HBS Profile

Managing the Future of Work Project at Harvard Business School

Delivering on Degrees Report Workforce Futures Initiative

Prof. Raj Chetty’s Work on Economic Mobility

Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It by Richard V. Reeves

The Partnership Imperative: Community Colleges, Employers, and America’s Chronic Skills Gap

Wake Tech Community College

San Jacinto College

Monroe Community College

Valencia

College Partnership with Walt Disney World Resort

Disney Aspire - Disney’s Education Benefit Program

Matt Continetti on American Conservatism through the 20th Century

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 10:30:00 -0500

The Republican Party has been the main political vehicle for American conservatism over the past 100 years. Periods of tension between the intellectual/elite faction and the grassroots faction have defined the party’s history. Matt Continetti, senior fellow at AEI, has spent his career studying the Republican Party and the American conservative movement in the 20th century, in particular the tug-of-war between the party’s factions and how this has shaped national politics.

Mentioned in the Episode

The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism

Plato’s Republic

The Politics of Rage: Why do They Hate Us?

The Washington Free Beacon

George Wallace 1968 Presidential Campaign

Trump: “I love the poorly educated.”

House Passes Debt Limit Bill

CHIPS Subsidies Come with Lots of Strings

Roe v. Wade

What is Compassionate Conservatism?

Evan Selinger on Tech, Surveillance, and Obscurity in Work and Society

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 11 May 2023 10:30:00 -0500

Responses to the sudden emergence of widely available artificial intelligence tend to swing between those who believe these technologies will deliver a utopia of unlimited growth and opportunity or inflict a robot-dominated dystopia of human obsolescence. In the space between those two polls, some are engaged in serious ethical reflection that attempts to weigh out the possible impacts of AI in light of the preexisting social trends.

One of the more thoughtful, and fair-minded critics of emerging technologies is Evan Selinger, a professor of philosophy at Rochester Institute of Technology. In his research, Dr. Selinger asks how technology has affected our personal obscurity in society (the right not to be known), and how mass surveillance and optimization affects human work.

Mentioned in the Episode

Don Ihde

Patrick Grim

Woodrow Hertzog

Social obscurity paper

Digital doubles – in production and manufacturing

Reengineering Humanity

Taylorism

Frederick Winslow Taylor

Brett Frischmann

Scott Lincicome on Empowering the New American Worker

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 10:30:00 -0500

Scott Lincicome is the Vice President of General Economics and Trade at the CATO Institute, where he works to keep the economy open to innovation and change while preserving safety and opportunity for families, communities and the economy. In this episode, we discuss the intra-conservative debate over how to balance the need for stability in the market with openness to the innovation and change that have been the hallmarks of American development and prosperity throughout the nation’s history. Lincicome discusses these and other themes as they are laid out in his recent edited volume, “Empowering the New American Worker”.

Mentioned in the Episode

Empowering the New American Worker

CATO Institute – Scott Lincicome

University of Virginia Law School

Libertarianism

Liya Palagashvili interview

CATO Trade Policy Bracket Challenge

Scott Lincicome Atlantic column on the Jones Act

Scott Lincicome Dispatch column – egg prices

Scott Lincicome Twitter

Liya Palagashvili on benefits for non-traditional workers

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 10:30:00 -0500

In this episode of Hardly Working, I speak with Liya Palagashvili, Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University as she walks us through her professional journey and research into nontraditional workers. Also known as independent workers, nontraditional workers can be defined as workers who make income outside of traditional employment and who are legally classified as independent contractors or self-employed. She describes different aspects of this rapidly expanding sector of the economy and what its future could be. Our conversation also explores what Palagashvili calls the two policy buckets often used to address challenges for independent workers and their possible repercussions.

Mentioned in the Episode

The Rise of the Creative Class

The Gig Economy

Form 1099-MISC

Etsy

AB-5 Worker status: employees and independent contractors

California Proposition 22

Department of Labor regulatory guidance on worker classification rules

Employee Classification Tests.

Utah Portable Benefit Plan

John Roy Price, Scott Winship and Robert Doar on Nixon’s Surprising Domestic Policy

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:30:00 -0500

The Nixon administration is renowned for their surprising consideration of differing social and welfare policies and the internal conflict and debate that this created within the Republican party it led.

In this episode of Hardly Working, I am joined by John Roy Price, special assistant to President Nixon during the contentious time period of 1969-71 and author of “The Last Liberal Republican: An Insider’s Perspective on Nixon’s Surprising Social Policy.” We discuss, joined by Robert Doar (President of AEI) and Scott Winship (Director of the AEI Center for Opportunity and Mobility) perspectives on the Nixon Administration, social and welfare policy, the history of the Republican party, and learn a little more about John Doar, Robert’s esteemed father.

Mentioned in the Episode

The Last Liberal Republican: An Insider’s Perspective on Nixon’s Surprising Social Policy

Nixon’s Family Assistance Plan

Negative Income Tax

David Adams on Improving Education through Social Emotional Learning

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:30:00 -0500

Workforce preparation is a crucial task that all community institutions – from families, to schools, to civic organizations – contribute to. It takes a village to make a good employee. However, few organizations, educational institutions, and nonprofits have adopted as well-rounded of an approach as the Urban Assembly, a nonprofit that equips schools to deliver social-emotional learning to students.

In this episode of Hardly Working, I speak with David Adams, CEO of Urban Assembly as he explains his journey of moral and vocational formation, including how it sparked his passion for the social-emotional and educational success of students. In doing so, he describes some of the unique initiatives that have made Urban Assembly successful, despite the numerous challenges public education experiences today. Our conversation also illuminates policy options for improving opportunity and equity across racial and socioeconomic divides.

Mentioned in the Episode

David Adams

Social and Emotional Learning – The Urban Assembly

Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith

Urban Assembly

White House Recognizes International Social Emotional Learning Day

SELday – Social Emotional Learning Day

Urban Assembly School for Collaborative Healthcare

Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker

Hillbilly Elegy

William Julius Wilson solving Black inner-city poverty

Brown v. Board of Education

Neil Postman

Alissa Quart on Economic Hardship and Automation in Journalism

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 16 Feb 2023 10:30:00 -0500

Economic mobility has been a trademark of the American Dream since its inception, but over time generations have found that social and economic mobility in the pursuit of such a Dream has gradually become more difficult. For writer and non-profit leader Alissa Quart, the problem of mobility is worthy of attention, as are the individual’s stories who are in pursuit of that American Dream. She has written numerous books and articles on the subject through the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, or EHRP.

In this episode of Hardly Working, I talk to Alissa about her views on current state of the workforce, the struggles of economic mobility in America, the future of automation in journalism, and her upcoming book Bootstrapped.

Mentioned in the episode:

The Social Workplace Report

Barbra Ehrenreich

SNAP

Syracuse Veterans Center

Bobbi Dempsey

Sector Based Training

The Middle Precariat

The Great Resignation

Joseph Politano (of Apricitas) on the Modern Economy and his Journalistic Career

American Enterprise Institute — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 10:30:00 -0500

Every day, thousands of decisions alter the course of our economy and the world. Economists are responsible for tracking these decisions analyzing them. Many endure long educational pathways to gain expertise to comment on economic affairs, but this expertise isn’t always necessary to gain a following or disseminate valuable information. For Joseph Politano, recent graduate of George Washington University and author behind the Apricitas.io Substack, has made the most of his undergraduate education to build a following of loyal subscribers.

In this episode of Hardly Working, I talk with Joseph about his nascent career in Economics, building a following as an independent journalist, and his views on the most pressing issues facing our labor market.

Mentioned in the Episode

The George Washington University - Economics

Apricitas

Peace Corps Agribusiness

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Employment and Training Administration Department of Labor

Dopamine

Nick Bunker

BuzzFeed Article on Laid-Off Tech Workers

Matt Sigelman on Predicting and Analyzing Work in America

American Enterprise Institute — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 10:30:00 -0500

As President of Burning Glass Institute and former CEO of Emsi Burning Glass (now Lightcast), Matt Sigelman is a leading expert in real-time labor market information. This makes him particularly able to speak to workers preparing for an uncertain future with the skills required to rise in the modern economy. In this episode, Sigelman provides insight from his career in data and business, as well as findings from Burning Glass’ new American Opportunity Index to give workers a realistic picture of what they can do to advance in their careers.

Mentioned in the episode

The Social Workplace study

American Opportunity Index

Lightcast

Emsi/Burning Glass merger

Burning Glass Institute

Technical vs. Non-cognitive skills

German educational model

Joe Fuller Harvard Business School

Eric Reinhart on Accompaniment and the Limits of Empathy in Modern Community

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 10:30:00 -0500

Turn on the news, and you’ll be accosted with narratives of societal decline and tempted to despair. Dr. Eric Reinhart is one voice fighting for hope in the disadvantaged communities of Chicago, Illinois. With a kaleidoscope of degrees and credentials, Dr. Reinhart works to address both the symptoms of poverty and disadvantage by addressing their root causes.

In this episode, he explains the factors that influenced his multifaceted career, how he views the empathy and the nihilistic impulses of society, and how restoring public trust through accompaniment could help us reconnect with one another.

Mentioned in the Episode

Eric Reinhart

Harvard History of Science – Charles Rosenburg, Allan Brandt, Jeremy Greene

Paul Farmer

Arthur Kleinman

Community health worker systems

Jim Kim, Ophelia Dahl

Brigham Women’s Hospital

68,000 people die per year due to lack of health coverage

Eric Reinhart on nihilism

Long term decline of male labor force participation

Deaths of despair

Bullshit jobs book

Slate piece on gun control

Stephen Moret on Building Educational and Workforce Opportunities in States and Localities

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 11:21:00 -0500

Stephen Moret is a leading expert in the connection between education and work. In this episode, Dr. Moret shares lessons and successes from his many years leading state and local economic development efforts, educational fundraising efforts, and his new role as CEO of Strada Education Network, a social impact organization helping all students access and make the most of their educational opportunities.

Mentioned in the episode

Strada Education Network

Stephen Moret Student Body President

LSU Foundation

Virginia Economic Development Partnership

Stephen Moret Dissertation

Huey Long

St. John’s College

Virginia Talent Accelerator Program

Georgia Quick Start Program

Louisiana Fast Start Program – Economist Article

Tim Bartik

Virginia Office of Education – VOEE

Strada Institute for the Future of Work – New Learning Ecosystem

KYStats

Non-technical skills in career development

Increase in Master’s degrees

1 counselor for every 1000 students

Joe May

Clinton Smith on the Automated Future of Work

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 10:30:00 -0500

In their short, shared history, electrical and computing technology have fundamentally altered the way we live and work. Documents are sent in a flash, and goods are produced more efficiently than ever. While that efficiency tends to increase productivity, raise wages, and create new jobs, it also imposes costs in transitions for workers in affected industries. In this episode of Hardly Working, I am joined by Clinton Smith, co-founder of RIOS, a company that delivers robots-as-a-service to manufacturing companies. RIOS seeks to alleviate labor shortage and reduce human wear and tear, especially in fields like manufacturing. We discuss Clinton’s path to industry as well as the benefits and challenges created by his company’s product in on our increasingly-automated economy.

Mentioned in the Episode

Georgia Tech Computer Science

Princeton Electrical Engineering

Clinton Smith

Clinton Smith Dissertation

PARC

SPIR Grant

ARPA, DARPA, IARPA Grants

IOT Distributed Sensing

McKinsey Report: A Future that Works

Bernard Casse – RIOS Co-founder

Haptics

Mechanoreceptors, in fingers

Deep Learning

RIOS Website

RIOS Case Study: Hit Promotional Products

RIOS VULCAN Robot Workcell shows the possibilities of Pack Out to Box

Robots as a service (RaaS)

Who Made the Pencil?

Erik Brynjolfsson and Michael Strain on The Costs of Labor-Replacing Technology

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 10:30:00 -0500

Erik Brynjolfsson’s paper “The Turing Trap: The Promise and Peril of Human-Like Artificial Intelligence” argues that the “imitation game” of creating tech that mimics humans has increased productivity and living standards, but does not exist without costs. Those costs make up “The Turing Trap” which happens when humans not involved in creating AI cannot compete with the productivity and efficiency of the robots designed to do their jobs, and lose control of their economic and political futures.

The Turing Trap sits at the center of contemporary labor force struggles, including the Great Resignation, the fight for “good jobs” and cratering male labor force participation. Michael Strain, who directs AEI’s Economic Policy Studies, joins Dr. Brynjolfsson and I to discuss what economic policy can do to encourage more innovators aim higher and create machines that augment rather than replace human labor, and how that effort is crucial to the American Dream.

Mentioned in the episode

Erik Brynjolfsson

Utopia Paperback by Thomas More

Foundation Mass Market Paperback by Isaac Asimov

Heilbronner’s Worldly Philosophers

Doug Hofstadter

The Turing Trap by Erik Brynjolfsson

Michael R. Strain

The American Dream is Not Dead

The High School Movement

Pigouvian Tax

Consumption Tax

Tax Reform Act of 1986

Greg Mankiw Pigou Club

Glenn Hubbard on Protectionism and Economic Opportunity

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 10:30:00 -0500

Economic changes bring prosperity, but not without cost. The globalization of how we produce and consume has left many American workers in dead end jobs without prospects for advancement. Some critics of this change have argued for the necessity of walls to protect American industries from global competition and labor exploitation. In his new book The Wall and The Bridge: Fear and Opportunity in Disruption’s Wake, Glenn Hubbard argues for bridges to economic opportunity. We discuss themes from his book in today’s episode.

Glenn Hubbard

The Wall and the Bridge

The Road to Serfdom by F. A. Hayek

Ken White

Eagle Scout

The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

Adam Smith Works - Liberty Fund

The Theory of Moral Sentiments

Smith’s Idea of Mutual Sympathy

Laissez-Faire Economy

Dignity at Work by Brent Orrell

President Bush's High Growth Job Training Initiative

Block-Granting Entitlement Programs

Growing Fairly by Stephen Goldsmith and Kate Markin Coleman

One Counselor for Every 1,000 students - Northern Virginia

Community College System

Personal Reemployment Accounts

American Industrialization

Mexican Truck Drivers Situation

Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program

Trade Expansion Act of 1962

Morrill Act

Land-Grant University

GI Bill

“Go west, young man” by Horace Greeley

The Great Transformation by Karl Polanyi

Place-Based Policies

Nick Eberstadt on Men Without Work

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 10:49:00 -0500

Amidst widespread talk of income inequality and the rise in working women, many American men have retreated from the labor force steadily since 1965. Nicholas Eberstadt, AEI’s Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy, noticed this trend in 2014 and began work on a project tracking men who lie outside the reach of traditional measures of unemployment since they are not working or looking for work. That project culminated in Men Without Work: America’s Invisible Crisis.

In 2022, Eberstadt released a Post-Pandemic Edition of Men Without Work, which forms the backbone of today’s discussion. We discuss who the men without work are, how they spend their time, and how to convince society that work as an institution is a worthy investment of time.

Mentioned in the Episode

Harvard University

Roger Revelle – AAAS

American Enterprise Institute

Men Without Work: America’s Invisible Crisis

Men Without Work: Post-Pandemic Edition

NILF (Not in Labor Force) Rate

BLS Definition of Employed - 1 hour per week

US Marriage Rates

US Family Structure 1965 to now

US Religiosity 1965 to now

1996 Welfare Reform

Yuval Levin on formative institutions

Decline of the Summer Job

Homo Economicus

Benjamin Storey on Restlessness in the Modern Age

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 10:30:00 -0500

The unlimited choices we face in modernity make us restless, which is why Dr. Benjamin and Dr. Jenna Storey wrote Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment. The book explores ideas by those who have thought about and written on contentment and the application of those ideas today. Benjamin also shares about his own quest for knowledge and how it culminated in this book.

Mentioned in the episode

Benjamin Storey

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Dr. Larry Goldberg

Committee on Social Thought - The University of Chicago

Michel de Montaigne

Furman University

The Tocqueville Program

Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies

Yuval Levin

Joseph Epstein

Majoring in Fear by Mark Shiffman

Permanent Crisis: The Humanities in a Disenchanted Age

Ross Douthat

The Decadent Society

Renaissance Humanism

The Classical School Movement

William James and the Great Pragmatists

Radical Skepticism

Why We Are Restless

Aristotle on Happiness

Queen Elizabeth: A Lifetime Of Service | Timeline

Blaise Pascal

Town and Gown Relations

The School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership

Tyler Cowen on Talent and Hiring in the Twenty-First Century

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 10:30:00 -0500

How can employers find workers that fit and elevate their organizations? Where are the “diamonds in the rough” that everyone else is missing? In his book Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives and Winners Around the World, Economist Tyler Cowen and entrepreneur Daniel Gross point out helpful strategies for hiring managers to find job seekers to who aim to be noticed by the right people. Tyler also dives into his journey into economics, sharing his takes on AI, skills, modern hiring practices, and the many projects that occupy his day-to-day.

Mentioned in the episode

Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World

Tyler Cowen chess prodigy

Marginal Revolution Blog

Fee Seminar economics

The Incredible Bread Machine

Henry Hazlitt - Economics in One Lesson

Hayek – Use of Knowledge in Society

Adam Smith - Wealth of Nations, Theory of Moral Sentiments

Walter Grinder - Center for Libertarian Studies, Institute for Humane Studies

George Mason University

Rebroadcast: Ryan Streeter and Dan Cox on the State of American Communities

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 10:30:00 -0500

Throughout America’s history, its people formed churches, social and fraternal organizations, and neighborhood groups at an astonishing pace. When we talk about “American exceptionalism” this is what we’re really talking about: the self-organizing community that solves its own problems.

In second half of the 20th century, however, scholars and pundits have pointed to a decline in American neighborliness and propensity for joining civic organizations. Church attendance is down, social organizations are dissolving, and two-parent families are declining. What can the data on American attitudes toward community tell us about why this is happening?

Today, I am pleased to welcome Ryan Streeter and Dan Cox to discuss the state of American communities. Streeter is a Senior Fellow and Director of Domestic Policy Studies at AEI. He studies topics of civil society, community, localism and religion. Dan Cox is the Senior Fellow in Polling and Public Opinion at AEI and the Director of the Survey Center of American Life. He specializes understanding American attitudes toward politics, youth culture, identity, and religion. We discuss highlights from AEI’s fall American Community survey, which can be found on the AEI website. We’ll also discuss their vocational journeys and professional lives and the role of civic engagement in building a happy and fulfilling life.

Mentioned During the Episode

Ryan Streeter

Dan Cox

American Community Survey

Stephen Goldsmith

Adam Smith

David Hume

Social network analysis

Pew Research Center

Public Religion Research Institute

Karlyn Bowman

The Moral Sense- James Q. Wilson

Sam Abrams on public libraries

Vikram Mansharamani on how to stop outsourcing your opinions and re-learn critical thinking

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 10:30:00 -0500

This episode is a rebroadcast of one of our most popular episodes! We hope that bringing it back now will allow the content to find new listeners. Enjoy!

~Hunter Dixon (podcast producer, Hardly Working)

We live in times marked by the omnipresence of the internet and instantaneous access to the accumulated knowledge of humanity. This leads us into relying on quick, narrow answers to large, complex questions. Are we going too far in our reliance on experts and, in the process, forgetting how to think for ourselves?

Brent talks to Vikram Mansharamani, a lecturer at Harvard University and the author of “Think for Yourself: Restoring Common Sense in An Age of Experts and Artificial Intelligence”. They discuss the need to reduce our reliance on experts living in the silos of their own professional fields, the importance of a liberal arts education, and the importance of staying focused on your mission.

Victor Dickson on First Chances, the Success Sequence, and Safer Foundation

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 10:30:00 -0500

We all deserve a second chance. But what if you never got a first? Victor Dickson leads the Safer Foundation, which supports the social and economic reintegration of formerly incarcerated people. The Foundation’s diverse services, including workforce development and mental health counseling, help people who are held back by violence, substance abuse, and poverty build the habits of happy and prosocial life. In this episode, I talk with Victor about the barriers and solutions to prisoner reentry and about the role models that supported him in his own professional journey.

Mentioned During the Show

Safer Foundation

Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. (now AT&T)

Sprint (now T-Mobile)

Success Sequence

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Elisabeth Babcock

Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath)

Social Determinants of Health

Mass Incarceration

Barriers to Prisoner Reentry

Sequential Intercept Model (SIM)

Illinois Supreme Court SIM

Race Health Disparities in Chicago

Mental Health Providers by Area in Chicago

Intergenerational Effects of Incarceration

Digital Divide Across Income Groups

Recidivism Rates

Legal Barriers to Employment of Former Prisoners

Economic Cost of Barriers to Employment

Grassroots Approaches to Entrepreneurship

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 07 Jul 2022 10:30:00 -0500

Mauricio Miller has spent years upending common beliefs and practices regarding poverty alleviation in the US and throughout the world, which has led him to question some of the central ideas of poverty alleviation. In his book The Alternative and his current work, Miller argues that that solutions to poverty are not actions done to or for the poor, but actions done with the poor. This change in attitude recognizes the innate talent and problem-solving abilities those in long-term poverty possess but are often unable to demonstrate in marketable ways. This week, Miller, other panelists, and myself discuss the value created by such informal economic activity and how to harness it to expand human potential.

Mentioned in the Episode

Articles Written by Mauricio Miller - The Alternative: Creating Upward Mobility by Tapping the Talents of the People Themselves and Investment Capital for All

The Alternative: Most of What You Believe About Poverty Is Wrong

Adam Smith by the Bay

Family Independence Initiative (Now known as UpTogether)

Keller Center at Princeton University

Head Start

Community Independence Initiative

eLab at the Keller Center (Princeton University)

US Small Business Administration (SBA)

STEM Voices: The Experiences of Women and Minorities in STEM Occupations

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 10:30:00 -0500

Mentioned in the Episode

STEM Definition

July 2020 AEI STEM Survey

STEM Interviews by Anne Kim

Abandoned: America's Lost Youth and the Crisis of Disconnection

Brookings Center for Technology Innovation

United Negro College Fund

STEM Without Fruit

Black Data Processing Association

Hispanic Heritage Foundation

Inroads Program

Fund II Foundation (Fund 2)

First Workings

Leon Cooperman on the True Value of Billionaires

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 26 May 2022 10:30:00 -0500

What would you do if you had a billion dollars? You may have a good idea, but if you don’t, looking to the example of Leon Cooperman wouldn’t be a bad start. After a lengthy, successful career at Goldman Sachs and running his own wealth management company, Leon Cooperman has focused his attention on philanthropy, making daily decisions to benefit the lives of others. In this episode, Cooperman and I discuss how his career and philanthropic efforts illuminate the value of billionaires to society.

Mentioned During the Show

Leon Cooperman Washington Post

Hunter College

University of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry

Columbia Business School

Bob Danforth

Union Carbide Compound Interest Tables

Goldman Sachs

Ken Langone

Cooperman College Scholars

Elizabeth Warren

2% wealth tax

Larry Summers

Navient Student Loans

Wealth Tax Across Countries

Bill Gates

Jeff Bezos

Bernie Marcus

First Workings Mentors on Discovering the Value of Mentorship

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 12 May 2022 10:30:00 -0500

First Workings provides multifaceted support for disadvantaged students from New York City, including access to internships, mentorships, and trainings. These mentors often occupy senior positions at major finance, media, health, or law firms, and help participants master both work and the social connections that make advancement possible. But the benefits of these internships also extend to the host firms through the diversity and life perspective they provide.

In this third and final episode of our graduation season Mentoring Miniseries, two First Workings mentors, Dr. Jamilia Sly of Mount Sinai Hospital and Matthew Lustig of Lazard, a leading financial services company, discuss their vocational paths and the benefits of these mentoring opportunities for the students, mentors, and sponsoring organizations.

Mentioned in the Episode

Dr. Jamilia Sly

Matthew Lustig

First Workings

First Workings Mentees’ Experience

McNair Scholars Program

Dr. Wanda Lewis

Dr. Vicky Phares

University of South Florida

Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service

Chase Manhattan Bank

David Rockefeller

Real Estate Lending

Drexel Burnham Lambert

First Workings alumni

Noncognitive skills

Code-switching

Lazard New Visions Academy

Mount Sinai’s Center for Scientific Diversity

First Workings Alums on their journeys from New York to New Beginnings

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 10:30:00 -0500

The First Workings mentoring program is a unique experience for disadvantaged high school students from New York City. First Workings helps students access paid internships, training, and mentoring relationships at major finance, media, health, or law firms. The skills, experience, and social capital resulting from these opportunities are crucial for building access to well-paid career opportunities.

In this second episode of the Mentorship Miniseries, three First Working alumni reflect on their vocational pathways and the benefits afforded to them through their involvement with First Workings. We also discuss “code-switching”, work culture, and social capital.

Mentioned in the Episode

First Workings

First Workings Alumni network

Kevin Davis

Kevin Davis on his Finance Career and the Impact of First Workings

University of California

Viacom CBS (now Paramount Global)

NBC Universal

Warner Media

University of Pennsylvania

Girl Scouts

Girl Scout Leadership Institute

Democracy Prep Public Schools

MTV Movie & TV Awards

Kevin Davis on his Finance Career and the Impact of First Workings

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 10:30:00 -0500

Social capital and internship experiences are crucial to finding opportunities in the labor market and building a successful career. However, many students from disadvantaged backgrounds often lack the networks that can help them find and successfully navigate early work experiences. First Workings is a non-profit organization that seeks to create access and support by connecting youth from disadvantaged New York City communities to paid internships, training, and mentors at firms looking for young, talented, diverse workers.

In this episode, Kevin Davis, Founder and Chairman of First Workings, describes his career in finance and his vision for helping young people find the first rung of career ladders. Together, we discuss the inequalities in opportunity for the young people he serves, and the importance of social capital, relationships at work, diversity in the workplace, and vocation.

Mentioned in the Episode

First Workings

First Workings partners

First Workings alumni network

Kevin Davis Biography

Chicago Board of Trade (merged with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in 2007)

Financial Futures

ED&F Man (Commodities division)

Man Group

Man Financial (Man Group brokerage division which was separated from Man Group

in 2007)

New York University (NYU)

U.S. Workforce Demographics

U.S. College graduation rates and Drop-Out rates

Introducing the Mentorship Miniseries

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 10:30:00 -0500

For college students, professionals young and old, and career changers across the nation and the world, graduation season is filled with hopes, dreams, and a search for direction. Access to mentors, professional networks, and job opportunities is often an essential step in these new vocational journeys.

To commemorate this season of life, Hardly Working will spotlight First Workings, an organization showcasing an innovative approach to mentorship and vocation with underserved youth in New York City. We’ll begin the series speaking with Kevin Davis, the Founder and Chairman of First Workings, about his own professional journey and the ideas behind the organization, followed by discussions with mentors and alumni of the program. Tying this all together is the theme of relationships, which are the key drivers in vocational discernment and career development.

We hope that wherever you are in your vocational journey, you will find these episodes helpful as you discern your next move, contemplate the meaning of where you are, or help others find their direction during this graduation season.

Mentioned in the episode

First Workings

Kevin Davis

Prison Scholars Part 2: Robert Wood on his journey to desistance through education

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 10:30:00 -0500

The choices we make and who we make them with are the

primary factors shaping how we live. Few people know this better than Robert

Wood. In the final episode of our March miniseries on criminal justice topics,

Robert and I dive into how his perspectives, priorities and choices changed

during his stint in prison, and how his association with the Prison Scholar

Fund led to new beginnings.

Mentioned in the Episode

Terminal Island

Lompoc Prison, California

UNICOR Federal Prison Industries – Scholarship

California Board of Governors Grant for prison education

Judge M. James Lorenz

Allenwood, PA Medium Security Prison

First Step Act

Alpha Sigma Lambda

Prison Scholar Fund

Adams State University (Print Based Prison College Program)

Adams State Online MBA

What is the Universe

Prison Scholars Fund Part 1: Theresa Matheson on community education and work, in and out of prison

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 10:30:00 -0500

In this episode of Hardly Working, Theresa Matheson shares her story of crime, incarceration and change. She highlights the role of community within prison in helping her step away from the beliefs and behaviors of her criminal life and her pursuit of education as the primary means of building a new and better life after incarceration. This episode is also a window into the less-discussed world of corrections facilities for women and their unique challenges and opportunities.

Mentioned in the Episode

California COVID rental relief fund

JVS So-Cal

Worksource

Prison to employment program

Sustainability program Washington Corrections for Women

Freedom Education project of Pugeot Sound

Prison Scholar Fund

Ohio State Correspondence

LSU Correspondence

Tacoma Community College

Sheppard, Gilda | The Evergreen State College

The IF project

The Freedom Project

Dirk Van Velzen on his transition from crime to founding a nonprofit

American Enterprise Institute — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 16:30:00 -0500

Incarcerated and justice-involved individuals are people with desires, goals, dreams and gifts, just like those of us “on the outside.” Dirk van Velzen, the founder and CEO of the Prison Scholars Fund, knows first-hand what it takes to discover and actualize the potential of people who are involved in our criminal justice system.

In this episode, Dirk dives into the factors that led to his incarceration, and how his education in prison and in re-entry led to starting PSF, a nonprofit that helps other incarcerated and justice-involved individuals to build on their unique educational and vocational interests, skills, and abilities. Through the work of PSF, lives are changed and cycles of incarceration, recidivism, crime and poverty that hamper families and communities are being broken.

Mentioned in the Episode

Prison Scholar Fund

History of the Prison Pell program

Penn State Organizational Leadership

University of Colorado Boulder Psychology

David G. Myers

Phil Zimbardo

Stanford Prison Experiment

Annenberg Foundation

Bannerman Foundation

Bernadette Clavier

Stanford Social Innovation

Jack Keroac- On the Road

Atomic Habits

Prison Scholar Fund Coding Program

Coding Dojo

Bard Prison Initiative

Coding Dojo

Bard Prison Initiative

Brett Tolman on his legal career and leading Right on Crime

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 10:30:00 -0500

The passage of the First Step Act in 2018 jolted criminal justice issues into the forefront of the public consciousness, and it has remained there since. As COVID ravaged prisons and unrest shook the country in 2020, the nation grappled with the role of the justice system in securing our society while bettering the lives of those all those affected by the burden of incarceration. Meanwhile, policymakers worked tirelessly to maintain bipartisan consensus around these important issues.

To discuss these issues in context, I am joined Brett Tolman. Prior to his work with Right on Crime, Tolman worked in corporate compliance, white collar and government investigations. As a US Attorney in Utah, Brett worked on a range of apposite cases ranging from adoption fraud to national security issues. He has regularly testified before the US Congress and has been on the leading edge of drafting and advocating for numerous pieces of criminal justice legislation, including the First Step Act.

Identity Required: How pro-social identity fosters desistance from crime

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 10:30:00 -0500

Desistance, the decision to abandon criminal behavior,

is one of the great puzzles in criminal justice policy. Shawn D. Bushway of the

RAND Corporation argues that desistance depends on achieving a new,

noncriminal, pro-social identity, which is often a long and arduous process

supported by empirical evidence.

This rebroadcast of our December 14 event contains a discussion moderated by Brent on Dr. Bushway’s report “Reentry, desistance, and identity achievement.” The event features remarks from Dr. Bushway, followed by comments from Rashawn Ray of the Brookings Institution, Bret Bucklen of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, and Julio Medina of Exodus Transitional Community.

Mentioned During the Show

Re-entry, Desistance and Identity Achievement

Paternoster and Bushway 2009 Paper

Rhodes et al. study

Marcus Bullock-flikshop

Hawaii Hope program

David Farabee: Rethinking Rehabilitation

COMPASS: Correctional Offender Management

Exodus Transitional Community

Risk-Needs-Responsivity Model

Good Life Model

Jeremy Travis on prisoner re-entry and his storied career in criminal justice

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 10:30:00 -0500

Where do prisoners go when released? How can policy create a better framework and process to prevent a quick return to incarceration? How can policy humanize the incarcerated while upholding standards of justice? Few people are more qualified to answer such questions than Jeremy Travis.

To kick off our Hardly Working March miniseries for Criminal Justice Reform Month, Brent and Travis dive deep into the past, present and future of re-entry and criminal justice reform. Travis’ wealth of experience in legal aid, at NYPD, clerking for future Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and his multiple contributions in criminal justice research brought forth seminal re-entry texts like But They All Come Back: Facing Challenges of Prisoner Re-entry that changed the way we look crime, criminal behavior, and the justice system.

Mentioned During the Show

Rev. William Sloane Coffin

Frederick Douglass

Martin Robison Delany

Vera Institute of Justice

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Commissioner Benjamin Ward

Mayor Ed Koch

Commissioner Lee Brown

National Institute of Justice

1994 Crime Bill

But They All Come Back: Facing the Challenges of Prisoner Reentry

Urban Institute

2004 State of the Union note on reentry

Prisoner Reentry initiative

Nothing works - Martinson article

Fortune Society NYC

Square One Columbia

Shadd Maruna- Making Good

READY Project Chicago

Pat Sharkey

Equal Act

Arnold Ventures

Jeremy Travis- Power of Parsimony

Introducing the National Criminal Justice Month Miniseries

American Enterprise Institute — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 10:00:00 -0500

Mentioned in the trailer

U.S. is losing $1 trillion every year due to crime

National Criminal Justice Month

Ryan Streeter and Dan Cox on the State of American Communities

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 10:30:00 -0500

Mentioned During the Episode

Ryan Streeter

Dan Cox

American Community Survey

Stephen Goldsmith

Adam Smith

David Hume

Social network analysis

Pew Research Center

Public Religion Research Institute

Karlyn Bowman

The Moral Sense- James Q. Wilson

Sam Abrams on public libraries

Brent Orrell on Lessons from his Vocational Journey

American Enterprise Institute — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 04:30:00 -0500

In this episode of Hardly Working, Brent’s research staff turn the tables on the host and interview Brent. In the last 64 episodes, Brent has hosted guests to discuss everything from the welfare system to neuroscience to Waffle House. This episode is a long-awaited (by us!) window into the host behind the scenes. What is the elusive “vocation” that Brent talks about with guests? What is the core of Brent’s theory of workforce development research? How was this theory developed and who influenced it? All these questions and more are finally answered.

You will hear about Brent’s own vocational journey, the people that guided it, his vocational and policy philosophy, and even a few of his favorite books. We also provide a sneak peek at our spring podcast line up. Enjoy getting to know the researcher and the research behind Hardly Working!

- Jake Easter, Jessie Wall, and Hunter Dixon

Mentioned During the Episode

Brent Orrell AEI

Sam Nunn (GA)

Faith Based and Community Initiatives Bush Administration

Administration for Children and Families (HHS)

Ryan Streeter AEI

93% of parents would encourage their kid to pursue engineering

C.S. Lewis

Adam Smith, Theory of Moral Sentiments

Susan Howatch

Range by David Epstein

Iain McGilchrist (AEI page)

The Master and His Emissary

“How our brains make the world” (condensed paper from Iain McGilchrist)

McGilchrist event with John Cleese

Econ Talk Russ Roberts

Divided Brain Documentary

Ep. 29: Iain McGilchrist

The Best Advice I Ever Got by Katie Couric

Howard Husock on The Poor Side of Town and Why We Need It

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 13 Jan 2022 10:30:00 -0500

Housing policy in America is inextricably linked with employment opportunities, small business ventures, education access, and a host of other issues that directly impact economic opportunity. Understanding the history of low income housing in America is key to understanding and reimagining housing policy today. On this episode of Hardly Working, I am joined by Howard Husock to discuss his new book, The Poor Side of Town and Why We Need It. The book lays out a history of American housing policy and a thesis on how low-income housing that allows for private ownership can serve as a gateway to upward mobility, rather than the concentrated and intergenerational poverty that characterizes low-income housing today.

Husock is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute where he focuses on urban housing policy, civil society, and municipal government. He has held positions at the Manhattan Institute, the Harvard Kennedy School, and has worked as Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker. We discuss the history of low income residencies in America, the loss of social capital in low income neighborhoods, how much of this is due to public policy interventions, and solutions to rethink housing policy. You can find Howard’s book on the AEI website. I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Mentioned During the Show

The Poor Side of Town and Why We Need It

Princeton School of Public and International Affairs

Edward Banfield: The Unheavenly City

Jacob Riis: How the Other Half Lives

Market Failure

Catherine Bauser: Modern Housing

Brookline, Mass. Town Meeting

Zoning

Portland Urban Growth Boundary

Jane Jacobs Bio

Jane Jacobs: Death and Life of American Cities

Jane Jacobs: The Economy of Cities

Jane Jacobs: Cities and the Wealth of Nations

Robert Moses (housing projects)

Mutual aid definition

Detroit Urban League

Howard’s Senate Banking Committee Testimony

Raj Chetty Moving to Opportunity Study

Jeff Liebman Moving to Opportunity Study

Thomas Chatterton Williams on Race, Identity, and a Writer’s Vocation

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 15:15:00 -0500

In this episode of Hardly Working, Brent Orrell is joined by AEI nonresident fellow and cultural critic Thomas Chatterton Williams. Williams’s two books Losing My Cool, published in 2010 and Self Portrait in Black and White, published in 2019, tie together personal memoir and philosophy to provide a fresh perspective on America’s history of racial discrimination and present reckoning with defining race and understanding its impacts. Williams discusses the importance of liberal arts education in shaping his own vocation, his motivation for writing, and importantly, his philosophy on race and identity in America.

Mentioned During the Show

Thomas Chatterton Williams’ AEI Webpage

Self-Portrait in Black and White

Chatterton on Searching for Plato with His Daughter

Bard Prison Initiative Documentary

France’s “Color-Blind” Race Policy

Hillbilly Elegy

The Common Ground of Human Dignity

AEI’s 10^th Annual Housing Conference

Brookings’ Study on Housing Appraisals

Joseph Fuller on Hidden Workers and issues in AI-based recruiting

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 10:30:00 -0500

Amidst today’s labor shortage, employers are learning an important truth: we have no “extra” people. Unfortunately, many qualified workers are “hidden” from real consideration for jobs by ineffective artificial intelligence hiring screens, overly strict credentialing requirements, or a narrowmindedness from companies on how seemingly disparate skills could might serve to strengthen business operations. These barriers contribute to the existence of 27 million “hidden workers” in the US, including mothers returning to the workforce, those with physical disabilities, neurodivergent workers, and veterans.

To discuss this problem, I am joined by AEI non-Resident Fellow and Harvard Business School professor Joe Fuller. In addition to his work at AEI, Joe co-leads the Managing the Future of Work project, and has published reports through HBS as well as numerous popular press outlets.

Mentioned During the Show

Joe Fuller's Harvard Website

Joe Fuller’s AEI Website

Stephen Fuller Remembered

Michael Porter’s Harvard Website

Hidden Workers: Untapped Talent Report

New York Times Article on Automated Hiring

Young People Marry Later than Previous Generations

What Walmart is Doing Right

IBM Commits to Skill 30 Million by 2030

Unilever on Upskilling Its Employees

Managing the Future of Work

The Project on Workforce

Annie Murphy Paul on the Power of Thinking Outside the Brain

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 10:30:00 -0500

With automation changing the nature of work before our very eyes,

it is more important than ever that we begin to re-think our approach to

education, the workforce, and yes, even thinking itself.

In this episode of Hardly Working, Brent is joined by journalist

and acclaimed science writer Annie Murphy Paul to discuss how we can tap into

our bodies, surroundings, and other people to think better in an increasingly

complex economy and society. We discuss some of the insights from Murphy’s

latest book The Extended Mind, including why thinking of the brain as a

computer is problematic, the inherently social aspect of learning, and how to

shape a world that works for the kind of thinking our brains evolved to do.

Mentioned During the Show

The Extended Mind – Annie Murphy Paul

Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives

The Cult of Personality Testing

The Extended Mind – Andy Clark and David Chalmers

How Our Brains Make the World - Iain McGilchrist

Stanford University – Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence

The Master and His Emissary – Iain McGilchrist

St. John’s College

The Liberal Sciences and the Lost Arts of Learning

Andrew Donaldson on American Culture, Writing, and Vocation

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 10:30:00 -0500

When we hear the word “vocation”, many people think vocational training and technical education. But, the word “vocation” has deeper roots in the idea of a calling or an occupation to which a person is especially drawn, suited, trained, or qualified. By no means is this calling obvious, and in fact finding vocation often means a series of unpredictable twists and turns until one finds themselves in a career they would never have imagined at the beginning of their journey.

For this episode of Hardly Working, I am joined by Andrew Donaldson to discuss his own vocational journey. He is a writer at Ordinary Times magazine and “Yonder and Home” where he ties together politics, history, culture, food, faith, and place through words and stories. We discuss Andrews upbringing in West Virginia, his military career and vocational transition out of the military, the ongoing crisis of opioid addiction in Appalachia, and of course his writing on everything from Waffle House to the bifurcation of conservatism. Donaldson’s story reflects relentless perseverance, profound sense of place, and the sorts of connections – to family, food, and faith – that sit at the heart of what it means to be human.

Mentioned During the Show

Ordinary Times

Glenville Extension (State College)

VA Tuition Assistance

GI Bill Benefits

Yonder and Home- History of Waffle House

Waffle House Index

Hillbilly Elegy

JD Vance

Christmas in Appalachia (video)

Study on Opioid abuse in coal and non-coal producing counties

Midnight Mass: Nearer my God to Thee

Logan Lucky

Yonder and Home- A Poem, A Prayer & A Promise: The Power of Take Me Home, Country Roads

Hallelujah Chorus (not in WV)

Andrew Donaldson Twitter

Heard Tell Podcast

Paul Ryan on Poverty and Opportunity in 21st Century America

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 10:30:00 -0500

In the 1960s, President Lyndon B. Johnson began the so-called War on Poverty, expanding the federal government’s role in reducing poverty in the United States. At one level, this effort has been an overwhelming success: consumption poverty (the number of people who cannot afford basic goods and services) has fallen from 30 percent to 3 percent. At another level, the War on Poverty has failed, severe poverty continues to persist especially in terms of social dysfunction like unmarried births, educational failure, addiction and incarceration.

The U.S. last reformed its welfare system in 1996, bringing significant new reductions to welfare dependency and child poverty. Some policymakers have begun to suggest that a new round of reform that seeks to shift public benefit programs more toward empowerment rather than maintenance of individuals and families. They hope to create opportunities for Americans by strengthening communities, increasing social capital, and spurring economic growth.

On this episode of “Hardly Working”, I am joined by Paul Ryan, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and founder of the American Idea Foundation. We discuss how Ryan reconciles his commitment to the free market with his Catholic faith, his efforts to advance evidence-based policies to fight poverty, and modern-day populism and the future of conservatism.

Mentioned During the Episode:

Jack Kemp

Chicago School of Economics

Austrian School of Economics

Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith

AEI’s Adam Smith Seminar

Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam

Nurse-Family Partnership

Raj Chetty

American Idea Foundation

The Evidence Act

Study on Upward Mobility and Geographic Indicators

Office of Management and Budget

Many Americans Make More on Unemployment

Scott Winship on Tax Credits for Working Families

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 10:30:00 -0500

Expanding economic opportunity for working and middle-class families has been a policy priority for decades, but there are better and worse ways to approach this end-goal. In fact, policies of the past have at times ended up being counterproductive, putting further constraints on working-class families or discouraging healthy behaviors like two-parent child rearing. Understanding the interplay between policy prescriptions and incentive structures on the one hand and family formation, social capital, and intergenerational mobility on the other hand, is a key part of supporting workers and working families.

AEI director of poverty studies, Scott Winship’s recent report, Reforming tax credits to promote child opportunity and aid working families, explores just this interplay when it comes to tax relief for families. In this episode of “Hardly Working”, Scott Winship and I discuss his recent findings, his policy proposals for tax credit reform, the current state and history of safety net programs, as well as how to support social capital development. The discussion centers on constructing a safety net that offering low-income families the support they need to achieve upwardly mobile life paths

Mentioned During the Episode:

Reforming tax credits to promote child opportunity and aid working families

How Did the Social Policy Changes of the 1990s Affect Material Hardship among Single Mothers? Evidence from the CPS Food Security Supplement

Democratic Strategist Magazine

Pew Charitable Trusts – Economic Mobility Project

Scott Winship Twitter

$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America

The Anti-Poverty, Targeting, and Labor Supply Effects of the Proposed Child Tax Credit Expansion

Opinion: Why extending the current child tax credit would do more harm than good

The Demise of the Happy Two-Parent Home

Joint Economic Committee - Social Capital Project

Love, Marriage, and the Baby Carriage: The Rise in Unwed Childbearing

Zoning, Land-Use Planning, and Housing Affordability

Long shadows: The Black-White gap in multigenerational poverty

Neighborhoods and the Black White Mobility Gap

Dr. Alex Ruder on Benefits Cliffs

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 10:30:00 -0500

When the Federal pandemic-related UI programs ended on September 6^th, 2021, many Americans became aware of what low-income, government program-dependent Americans have long been aware of – a benefits cliff. This cliff occurs when public benefits taper off or phase out quickly, forcing beneficiaries to choose between earning more or maintaining what is often a vital subsidy. It is a classic Catch-22. These cliffs impact both short-term work incentives and long-term opportunities for growth in wages.

On this episode of “Hardly Working”, am joined by Dr. Alex Ruder, the principal advisor of Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Community and Economic Development team. We discuss Dr. Ruder’s vocational journey in workforce development policy, the Career Ladder Identifier and Financial Forecasting (CLIFF) tool that he helped develop, and the future of federal benefits and benefits cliffs post-pandemic.

Mentioned During the Episode:

AEI’s upcoming event on UI Reform

St. Louis Federal Reserve Publication on 1918 Influenza

Brent Orrell on how “Learning to Code” Isn’t Enough

Alex Ruder on Understanding and Overcoming Benefits Cliffs

Alex Ruder on Benefit Plateaus

Childcare Benefits Cliff Florida Case Study

Effective Marginal Tax Rate Series on Effective Tax Rates

Alex Ruder on Benefits Cliffs and Career Pathways

Entry-Level Healthcare Workforce Report

Programs on Smoothing Out Benefits Cliff Effects

Economic Self-Sufficiency Measures as a State Goal

MIT’s Living Wage Measure

UW’s Self-Sufficiency Standard Measurement

St. Louis Federal Reserve’s Cost of Living Index

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Programs

World Economic Outlook (WEO) Metrics

The Atlanta Fed on the Affordability of Childcare

Mason Bishop on Utah Dept. of Workforce Services

Brent Orrell on Unemployed Worker Incentives Survey

Nicholas Bloom on the Future of Remote Work

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 10:30:00 -0500

In March of 2020, the remote workforce skyrocketed from just 7 percent of the working population to nearly 40 percent at the height of the pandemic. The pandemic is winding down but it appears remote work is here to stay.

In this episode of Hardly Working, I’m joined by Stanford economist Dr. Nicholas (Nick) Bloom to talk about the future of remote work, the worker-employer contest over returning to the office, and the productivity gains from different work arrangements: entirely remote, in-person, or some form of hybrid work. After nearly a decade of researching remote work, Dr. Bloom brings with him extensive quantitative knowledge of the subject and a clear, logical framework for understanding what remote work means for workers and businesses.

Mentioned During the Episode:

Dr. Bloom's Personal Website

Brent’s Recent Report: Looking back on a year of remote work to see the way forward

Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS)

Who Can Work from Home?

The Productivity Boost from Remote Work

Workers Would Take a 6 Percent Pay Cut to WFH

J.P. Morgan Requires Employees to Return to the Office

Deutsche Bank Unveils Hybrid Work Model

Patent for Technologies that Support WFH Increased during COVID-19

Michael Strain: COVID-19 Taught Me to Stay Home When Sick

Bloom: Don’t Let Employees Pick Their WFH Days

COVID-19’s Impact on City Centers

Companies Raising Wages during COVID-19

AEI Survey on Remote Work Preferences

Part II of Minding our workforce: the importance of noncognitive skills in employment

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 10:30:00 -0500

In the age of rapid economic development and changing workforce demands, noncognitive skills are “master skills” which serve as a foundation for and amplify cognitive and technical skills. Communication, integrity, and organizational soft skills are in top demand by employers, and building and strengthening these characteristics is an essential part of preparing a strong workforce for the future.

This episode of "Hardly Working" is a rebroadcast of an event surrounding the publication of AEI’s recently released edited volume “Minding our workforce: The role of noncognitive skills in career success.”

This is Part II of a two-part podcast series of this event. You will hear from Harry J. Holzer of Georgetown University on the application of noncognitive skills to the labor market and the limitations of what we know about noncognitive skills and noncognitive skill development. Then, Elisabeth Babcock of Economic Mobility Pathways will discuss noncognitive skills, mentoring, and coaching for low-income, welfare-dependent families. Part I featured Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach of Northwestern University.

Mentioned During the Episode

Minding our workforce: The role of noncongnitive skills in career success

Minding our workforce live event at AEI

Episode 54- Minding Our Workforce, Part 1

Harry Holzer

Elizabeth Babcock, MCRP

Diane Schanzenback on Noncognitive Skills

Becoming a Man Chicago

EMPath Leadership Network

Minding our workforce: the importance of noncognitive skills in employment

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 11:30:00 -0500

In today’s rapidly changing economy, noncognitive skills development is the key to building a flexible, resilient, and strong workforce for today and in the future. Such skills include communication, integrity, and organization. They are in top demand by employers today, and uncovering how to develop them is an essential workforce policy area.

This episode of "Hardly Working" is a rebroadcast of an AEI event on noncognitive skills this past summer. The event served as a follow-up to AEI’s recently released edited volume “Minding our workforce: The role of noncognitive skills in career success.” This is part I of a two-part podcast series of this event. Stay tuned for part II. Part I features several of the contributing authors to the volume, including Albert Cheng of the University of Arkansas and Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach of Northwestern University.

In part II, you will hear from Harry J. Holzer of Georgetown University and Elisabeth Babcock of Economic Mobility Pathways.

Mentioned During the Episode

Minding our workforce: The role of noncognitive skills in career success

STEM without fruit: how noncognitive skills improve workforce outcomes

Stem perspective: Attitudes, opportunities, and barriers in America's STEM workforce

Elisabeth Babcock

Albert Cheng

Harry Holzer

Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach

Jamie Merisotis on the Future of Human Work

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Twenty-first century automation is fueling an ongoing debate around the future of work. Is the end to human labor around the corner? Will robots replace us? The short answer is no. The longer answer is that work is changing fast and will likely require the capacity to adapt and constant upgrading of skills.

In this episode of "Hardly Working", I was joined by Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of the Lumina Foundation to discuss what automation means for work. We discussed his most recent book Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines, the connection between education and employment, the value of human abilities, and what the future workforce may look like and require of us.

Mentioned During the Episode:

Jamie Merisotis’s Website

Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines

American Needs Talent

Twitter: @jamiemerisotis

Lumina Foundation Website

On Automation of Repetitive Tasks

Minding Our Workforce: The Role of Noncognitive Skills in Career Success

On Technology Creating Jobs

Brent Orrell on the Real Value of Work

Brent Orrell on “Soft Skills” and University Education

Ken Goldberg on Human-Machine Complementarity

Jamie Merisotis on Human Work

Hardly Working on Restoring the Dignity to Work

Gallup Poll on Work That Matters

James Merisotis On Universal basic income

On the Garbage Collector Staying Optimistic During COVID-19

NY Times on Home Care Aides During COVID-19

Photo of Domino’s Pizza Workers in Texas

Jamie Merisotis on Hybrid Work Models

James Meristis on Preparing People for Career Adjacency

Rachel Lipson and David Demming on Worker Transitions

Lumina Foundation on Credentials and Pathways

Fed Chair Jerome Powell Speech on the Labor Market

On Northern European Models for Retraining

AEI on Workforce Recovery from COVID

IBM on Soft Skills

Pano Kanelos on St John’s College and the importance of the liberal arts

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 15:00:00 -0500

The liberal arts are a frequent political punching bag for partisans on both sides of the aisle. Progressives have gotten used to “deconstructing” the “dead White males” of Western classics, leading populists to view them as either irrelevant for finding work or an actual threat to students’ well-being.

What if neither view was right? What if the liberal arts are more important and more beneficial than they get credit for?

One place where this idea has been put into practice since the 1930s is St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. St. John’s is famous for its great books curriculum, which takes the foundational texts of Western civilization seriously as the starting point for a life well lived and, somewhat surprisingly, a strong foundation for work and career. St. John’s president, Pano Kanelos, joined the podcast for a conversation about what the liberal arts are and why we need them more than ever.

Mentioned during the show:

Critical race theory debate

St. John’s website

About Pano Kanelos

University Professors Program at Boston University

University of Chicago Committee on Social Thought

Mark Strand

‘The Life of the Mind: The Groundbreaking Investigation on How We Think

Know thyself

History of St. John's College

Brent Orrell’s visit to St. John’s

Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince’

St. John’s College winery

Pano Kanelos’ new funding model

Pano Kanelos’ farewell interview

The 'sansdemic': How declining fertility may be affecting the job market

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 12:00:00 -0500

The declining birth rate has come for most advanced countries, and the US is no exception. Now, we are starting to see what a labor market reshaped by years of low fertility looks like and what the future may hold.

Ron Hetrick of Emsi and Rob Sentz, formerly of Emsi, joined me to discuss their report on what they’re calling a “sansdemic” — literally, “without people” — labor market. They focused on how this low fertility will affect the economy and what, if anything, the government can and should do in response to these developments.

Show notes:

What to expect when no one’s expecting

Emsi

Emsi report

On the strong labor market before the pandemic

On the retirement of boomers

On the lower engagement with the workforce among some Americans

On the April Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey report

On the great wealth transfer

On women in the labor force

On the declining birth rate within the US

On the issues with prime-age men

National Bureau of Economic Research video games study

On the young people who need jobs

On the tight labor market today

On the coming lack of work

On why automation won’t take your job

CGP Grey video about automation

Brent Orrell on the labor shortage

On the Japanese birth rate

Worker retraining and transitions in a dynamic economy

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Helping workers transition to new careers has taken on new importance during the COVID-19 recovery. This has led to special attention being given to worker transition systems and the existing inadequacies in our current programs, especially when compared to those from other countries.

Rachel Lipson and David Deming recently wrote an AEI report that provides an overview of what we know about the opportunities and challenges in reforming worker transition programs. I was pleased to invite them and Visiting Fellow Mason Bishop for a discussion about these issues and where policymakers should go from here. This episode of “Hardly Working” is a recording of that discussion.

Show notes:

The search for stability: A review of worker transitions

Alienated America: Why Some Places Thrive While Others Collapse

Men Without Work: America's Invisible Crisis

Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism

Rachel Lipson’s website

David Deming’s website

Rachel Lipson’s presentation

Laurel Farrer on the remote work revolution

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 12:00:00 -0500

For America’s workforce, the past year has been, if not the worst of times, certainly one of the most challenging in the nation’s history. Pandemic lockdowns have been associated with not only burnout and stress but also the discovery of the potential benefits of remote work. Laurel Farrer, a remote work consultant and strategist, joined us on “Hardly Working” to explain how the pandemic has accelerated a transition that was already underway and how to distinguish between the challenges of remote work and the problems created by the pandemic.

Mentioned during the show:

Chronicle of the Black Death

Laurel Farrer’s website

Defining virtual work jobs: Here's what each term means

Infographic: The impact of remote working on talent acquisition

Distribute consulting

Remote work for economic development: A conversation with Laurel Farrer

On remote work and social isolation

On work from home and change management

On remote work and its effect on operations

On remote work and diversity

The environmental benefits of remote working

On how remote working is changing attitudes

On managing remote workers

On remote work and equity

On why remote work (as practiced) is illegal

Legal problems with remote work

On permanent remote work

On why hybrid teams are hard to get right

On employees leaving jobs mandating in-person work

On social concerns and remote work

Does Job Corps work? A conversation with Anne Kim

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 20 May 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Job Corps is a program that dates to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. The initial goal — help young people develop the skills they need to succeed in the workforce — was laudable. However, as tends to happen with government programs, the results have fallen short of the vision.

On this episode of “Hardly Working,” I’m joined by Anne Kim, who listeners may recognize from her first appearanceon the show. Kim talked about a recent article she wrote for Washington Monthly looking at the promise of Job Corps and the disappointment it has left in its wake.

Show Notes:

Anne Kim’s first appearance on ‘Hardly Working’

Anne Kim’s essay in Washington Monthly

Anne Kim’s book

George Foreman repaying Job Corp

On Job Corps not working

Past Job Corps audits (1, 2)

Job Corps handbook

Mathematica Job Corps evaluation

2018 Job Corps audit

On why doing nothing can be better than doing something

YearUp

On the wrong people benefiting from Job Corps

Job Corps

Philadelphia Youth Network

Minding our workforce: The role of noncognitive skills in career success Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath)

On Job Corps trouble in COVID-19 times

Young workers hit hard by the COVID-19 economy: Workers age 16–24 face high unemployment and an uncertain future

On Young people’s skills gap

Problems with millennial generation coming out of 2008 recession

Liya Palagashvili on the Gig Economy

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 06 May 2021 12:00:00 -0500

Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash all represent a new kind of company — one that seeks to connect individual workers to fluid market demands. These electronic gig networks have not only spread prosperity but also made it clear how important people’s talents are to the economy as a whole. They also hold promise in providing people with ways to develop new skills and business opportunities and to become their own bosses rather than working for someone else.

But the gig economy is imperfect and has uncertainties regarding paychecks and health care. Dynamism, and the mobility and opportunity it provides, has always been a hallmark of a US economy that has delivered unprecedented wealth and well-being to more people than ever before in human history. How do we retain this dynamism without leaving ever larger numbers of workers exposed to unpredictable economic trends and events?

To help understand some of these trade-offs and how to maximize the benefits of the gig economy, we’re joined by Liya Palagashvili of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Palagashvili has published several new papers looking at women in the gig economy, the importance of this sector during and after the pandemic, and what the future of gig economy regulation might look like.

Show notes:

Employee vs. independent worker: A framework for understanding work differences by Liya Palagashvili and Paola Suarez

Women as independent workers in the gig economy by Liya Palagashvili and Paola Suarez

Claudia Goldin

A grand gender convergence: Its last chapter by Claudia Goldin

Independent contractors in the US: New trends from 15 years of administrative tax data by Katherine Lim et al.

Startup innovation: The role of regulation in entrepreneurship by Liya Palagashvili

ABC Test | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute

Freelancing in America 2019

New Upwork study finds 36 percent of the US workforce freelance amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Liya Palagashvili’s website

Liya Palagashvili’s Mercatus Center website

Liya Palagashvili’s Twitter

Ted Hadzi-Antich on great books education in community colleges

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 11:19:00 -0500

The liberal arts have been having a rough time. The left tends to see them as part and parcel of a racist system that must be overthrown, and the right sees them as either a waste of time or part of the woke industrial complex. All this leads us to ask: Are they doomed? Should they be?

This week, I sat down with Ted Hadzi-Antich of the Great Questions Foundation for a conversation about the essential role the liberal arts and “great books” play in personal formation, career success, and long-term happiness.

Show Notes:

Austin Community College

University of Strasbourg

Allegory of the Cave

Great Questions Foundation

AEI STEM report

David Deming social skills report

David Deming on noncognitive skills

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 11:19:00 -0500

Nontechnical skills — communication, creativity, and teamwork — are important to career success. Unfortunately, they often aren’t well-defined, and we have trouble “teaching” them in a classroom. David Deming of the Malcom Wiener Center on Social Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government has spent several years researching the role noncognitive and nontechnical skills play in workforce success.

On this episode of “Hardly Working,” I sat down with Deming to learn more about his career and the impact of job outcomes. He also spoke about the launch and development of the new Harvard Skills Lab and how state and local workforce agencies, training organizations, community colleges, and others can gain access to more information about what works in workforce preparation.

Items mentioned during the podcast:

STEM without fruit: How noncognitive skills improve workforce outcomes

Early childhood intervention and life-cycle skill development: Evidence from Head Start

Malcom Wiener Center on Social Policy

“The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children”

Harvard Project on Workforce

Harvard Skills Lab

David Deming’s 2017 paper on noncognitive skills

David Deming’s 2020 paper on team players

Community of practice webinar

David Deming’s Twitter

David Deming’s personal website

Scholars mentioned during the podcast:

Susan Dynarski

Lawrence Katz

David Autor

Remote Work: What We've Learned, Part 2

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 15:00:00 -0500

Remote work went from niche to mainstream due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A practice that was initially exclusive became the new normal for much of the white-collar workforce. Businesses and employees may not be keen to go back to the way things used to be.

This episode of “Hardly Working” is a companion episode to the one that ran two weeks ago and contains the second half of AEI’s remote work panel discussion from last year. We finish the conversation by looking at the pluses and minuses of life in the home office and how working from home is affecting employers and employees.

Remote Work: What We've Learned, Part I

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 15:00:00 -0500

Remote work exploded in popularity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A practice previously used by a fraction of the workforce suddenly became the new normal for many white-collar workers. Many businesses have already suggested they may never return to the "old normal."

In this episode of "Hardly Working," we look at the pluses and minuses of life in the home office and how working from home is affecting employers and employees. It is a two-part conversation so stay tuned for the next episode to hear it all.

Redefining normal

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 15:00:00 -0500

Of all the things we take for granted, parental love is pretty high on the list, and yet few things are as important in setting our expectations and opportunities in life. But what happens when a child can’t depend on his or her parents? This is the story of Alexis and Justin Black, two young adults who grew up in the nation’s foster care system, and how, as young adults, they have overcome traumas of abandonment, abuse, and neglect to build a more hopeful life together.

Alexis (who was my student in AEI’s Summer Honors Program) and Justin joined me for this episode of “Hardly Working” to discuss their upbringing; what families, community, and government need to do to better help foster and at-risk youth; and their recent book, “Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat the Odds and Discovered Healing, Happiness, and Love” (Global Perspectives Publishing, 2020).

Deaths of Despair and what comes next

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 15:00:00 -0500

In 2016, the idea of ‘deaths of despair’ went from a social science term to a much more widespread one as the forgotten man (and woman) played an integral part in electing President Trump.

How are things now, and what comes next? The authors of 2020’s Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism, Angus Deaton and Anne Case joined me on this episode to talk about this problem and what needs to be done about it.

Building pathways to career success for entry-level workers (Part 2)

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 15:30:00 -0500

Entry-level workers face a myriad of obstacles to finding, keeping, and advancing in their careers that can hamper progress toward achieving family-sustaining employment. These obstacles are inhibit company productivity and company efforts to reduce turnover and strengthen and diversify workforces. Employer Resource Networks are a potential solution to this problem.

This episode of Hardly Working is the second in a two-part sequence of a recent event hosted at the American Enterprise Institute, entitled “Employer Resource Networks: Improving employment retention and building career opportunities for low-wage workers”.

Building pathways to career success for entry-level workers (Part 1)

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 15:30:00 -0500

Entry-level workers face a myriad of obstacles to finding, keeping, and advancing in their careers that can hamper progress toward achieving family-sustaining employment. These obstacles inhibit company productivity and company efforts to reduce turnover and strengthen and diversify workforces. Employer Resource Networks are a potential solution to this problem.

This episode of Hardly Working is the first in a two-part sequence of a recent event hosted at the American Enterprise Institute, entitled “Employer Resource Networks: Improving employment retention and building career opportunities for low-wage workers”.

The economic ramifications of COVID-19

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 15:30:00 -0500

Cases of COVID-19 are rapidly accelerating around the country, diminishing hopes that life will return to a pre-pandemic normal anytime soon. Health concerns are not all the country has to worry about, though.

To discuss the economic and financial impacts of COVID-19 in America and in emerging markets, Brent is joined by Desmond Lachman, a Resident Fellow in Economic Policy for The American Enterprise Institute. They discuss monetary policy, our economic future, and predictions for the months ahead.

Finding purpose behind bars (with Chris Wilson) [REBROADCAST]

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 15:30:00 -0500

Are prisons designed to punish, rehabilitate, or a combination of the two? At age 17, Chris Wilson was sentenced to life in prison, but he developed a list of goals — his “master plan” — to help him become the man he knew he wanted to be, despite being behind bars. Sixteen years later, Chis was granted parole. Since then, he has dedicated his life to giving back to his community, building multiple businesses, and supporting returning citizens.

In this rebroadcasted episode, Chris joined Brent to discuss COVID-19 in prisons, prison culture, and Chris’ new book, “The Master Plan: My Journey from a Life in Prison to a Life of Purpose.”

All in the family? How two-parent households influence economic outcomes

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 16:00:00 -0500

Children who are born and raised in two-parent families are significantly more likely to avoid poverty and other adverse social outcomes but how that happens is unclear.

Brent talks to Scott Winship, Director of Poverty Studies at AEI and co-author of a new report on family structure in America entitled “The Demise of the Happy Two-Parent Home”. They discuss family stability, economic security, and how family structure contributes to the success for children.

The American Dream: Alive, dead or just ailing?

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 15:30:00 -0500

Over the past five years, Americans have become more pessimistic about the nation’s economic future. We’ve weathered two recessions and now a pandemic that has put millions out of work. For some, these events have been a sign that free markets aren’t all they are cracked up to be and that stronger government interventions are needed. But does the data support this view?

Brent talks to Michael Strain, a Resident Scholar and Director of Economic Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, as well as the author of “The American Dream is Not Dead: (But Populism Could Kill It)”, about what the data tell us is really going on with employment, wages, and intergenerational economic mobility.

Restoring the dignity of work

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 15:00:00 -0500

For decades society has awarded social prestige and financial benefits to those who acquire a college degree and enter the so-called “knowledge economy”. Skilled manual labor and the caring professions, however, have too often been left behind. Why are these workers not as valued as they should be? And how do we create a more equitable labor force to ensure that all workers are respected for the value they provide to our society?

Brent talks to David Goodhart, the author of “Head, Hand, Heart: The Struggle for Dignity and Status in the 21^stCentury”, about the markers of a successful life, the value of skilled crafts and the caring professions, and the need to reconsider our priorities in training and educating students and workers.

Freeing the mind: how liberal arts in prison supports the rehabilitation of offenders

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 16:00:00 -0500

The accessibility of a college-level education in prison has been a controversial topic for decades. While some view it as an innovative solution to reduce recidivism and help prisoners better understand themselves and the world around them, others see it as a waste of taxpayer funded resources.

Brent talks to Max Kenner, the founder and Executive Director of the Bard Prison Initiative, a fully-accredited college program in the New York State correctional system, about the importance of educational equity, the history of education in prison, and how the liberal arts can set prisoners up for success in the modern workforce.

Humans versus machines: how technology is impacting the future of work

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 15:30:00 -0500

For many years it was thought that the only industries at risk of being automated were those that did not require human intelligence. Artificial intelligence is bringing automation to increasing numbers of tasks and forcing human beings to work in concert with technology. Some say, AI is actually rewriting the playbook of work altogether and may undermine the role as a source of meaning and purpose.

Brent talks to Daniel Susskind, a Fellow in Economics at Balliol College, Oxford, and the author of “A World Without Work: Technology, Automation, and How We Should Respond”. They discuss technological unemployment and the role of work in personal fulfillment. Along the way, they sort the science of artificial intelligence from the science-fiction.

Untangling America’s Anti-Poverty Programs

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 15:30:00 -0500

America’s workforce development and anti-poverty programs are rife with complexity and bureaucracy. Looking for work is hard enough but the way we organize our welfare and workforce systems makes it even more difficult.

To address this challenge and create a welfare system that works for people seeking self-sufficiency rather than against them, the State of Utah has developed a unique approach that consolidates services rather than fragmenting them which saves time, energy, and money while helping families make the most of the resources and opportunities they have to build a better future.

Brent is joined by Mason Bishop, an Adjunct Fellow at AEI to discuss his recent report: “Utah Department of Workforce Services: A System Integration Model”.

How to stop outsourcing your opinions and re-learn critical thinking

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 15:30:00 -0500

The Divided Brain: Perception, Social Life, and Interpersonal Neurobiology [REBROADCAST]

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 19:30:31 -0500

Most people know that the human brain is divided into two hemispheres: the left brain and the right brain. But what purpose does this division serve, and how does it influence perception, behavior, economics, and culture? In this rebroadcasted episode of “Hardly Working,” host Brent Orrell is joined by Dr. Iain McGilchrist, author of “The Master and His Emissary,” […]

The post The Divided Brain: Perception, Social Life, and Interpersonal Neurobiology [REBROADCAST] appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Building a more inclusive STEM workforce

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 19:30:55 -0500

Recent research from the American Enterprise Institute found that women and racial and ethnic minorities feel unwelcome in STEM fields, unlike their white male counterparts. It is clear that more work needs to be done to ensure that STEM careers continue to attract and retain a diverse workforce. To discuss this and other findings of […]

The post Building a more inclusive STEM workforce appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

How statistical modeling can make it harder to understand the world

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 03 Sep 2020 19:30:44 -0500

While statistical models and probability scores can be useful for helping diagnose problems, they are not reliable information for predicting the future. Brent is joined in this episode by two eminent economists, John Kay, a fellow at St. Johns College, Oxford and the first dean of Oxford’s Said Business School, and Mervyn King, former Governor […]

The post How statistical modeling can make it harder to understand the world appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Tamar Jacoby on the future of community colleges

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 19:30:18 -0500

Brent talks with Tamar Jacoby on the valuable and often overlooked role community colleges play for both four-year universities and local employeers

The post Tamar Jacoby on the future of community colleges appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Future history: looking behind to shape what’s ahead

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 19:30:52 -0500

Can thinking through the arch of history assist modern thinkers in planning for the future? Or is the future uncertain and separate from the happenings of the past? Brent cohosts today’s episode with Albert Zambone, an Oxford University-trained historian of colonial America and the host of the Historically Thinking podcast. Together, Brent and Al interview […]

The post Future history: looking behind to shape what’s ahead appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Once a criminal, not always a criminal: What we know about desistance

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 19:30:55 -0500

Contrary to the popular assumption that people who engage in criminal activity at some point in their life will always be dangerous and criminally-oriented, the data show that the majority of people who leave prison will never become re-incarcerated. Brent talks to Shawn Bushway, a criminologist at the University of Albany and a Senior Policy […]

The post Once a criminal, not always a criminal: What we know about desistance appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Worker without a boss: The new American gig economy

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 19:30:40 -0500

Hundreds of thousands of workers are no longer working standard office hours in a corporate setting, but instead work freelance and gig jobs that allow for greater flexibility in hours, job type, and location. Is the future of the American labor market in gig work, and how are workers faring in the new, gig economy? […]

The post Worker without a boss: The new American gig economy appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

How computers and the algorithms that drive them influence our life, work, and future

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 19:30:51 -0500

Technology has been rapidly advancing, and along with it has come an increased reliance on artificial intelligence, algorithms, and other forms of computer programming. Can we trust these programs to uphold our values of inclusion, diversity, and fairness? Brent talks to Robert Elliot Smith, an artificial intelligence expert and author of “Rage Inside the Machine: […]

The post How computers and the algorithms that drive them influence our life, work, and future appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

What does COVID-19 mean for the future of American cities?

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 19:30:34 -0500

Nowhere was the economic shutdown caused by the spread of the coronavirus more apparent than in the nation’s the major cities that became the early epicenters of the pandemic. When cities reopen, will the people and businesses who left come back? This episode of Hardly Working is an interview Brent Orrell did with Bob Zadek […]

The post What does COVID-19 mean for the future of American cities? appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Is STEM education and training working? And for whom?

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 19:30:41 -0500

Policymakers and parents alike have been encouraging young people for decades to pursue STEM degrees and careers so they could become financially and socially successful. Does the data support the assumption that going into STEM fields leads to a good career? Brent talks to Dan Cox, a Research Fellow at AEI, and Kadeem Noray, a […]

The post Is STEM education and training working? And for whom? appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Harry Holzer on racial disparities, crime, policing, and the COVID economy

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 19:30:43 -0500

In the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, people across the nation have been urgently calling for meaningful police reform and better treatment of minority groups by law enforcement. Brent talks to Harry Holzer, the LaFarge SJ Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University […]

The post Harry Holzer on racial disparities, crime, policing, and the COVID economy appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Can computers improve reentry outcomes? How automated risk assessments save money and help offenders.

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 19:30:56 -0500

The nation’s prison systems have many demands on their limited resources. To use those resources effectively, we need to connect individuals with the right intervention for their needs and risks. Automated risk-need-responsivity (RNR) assessments help take the guess-work out of prisoner transitions, improve efficiency, and increase the chances for success. Brent talks to Grant Duwe, Research […]

The post Can computers improve reentry outcomes? How automated risk assessments save money and help offenders. appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Dilbert’s revenge: Did COVID-19 kill cubicle culture?

American Enterprise Institute — Thu, 25 Jun 2020 19:30:09 -0500

What started as working from home for a few weeks to flatten the curve of COVID-19, has instead turned into months of telecommuting with no end in sight. While working remotely has presented both benefits and challenges, many workers and employers are asking themselves, is this a permanent change in how we work? Brent talks […]

The post Dilbert’s revenge: Did COVID-19 kill cubicle culture? appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

What’s the next move on COVID?

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 19:30:13 -0500

The past few months have brought an onslaught of new policies attempting to curb the spread of COVID-19, but were they the right decisions based upon the data we have about the virus? And what comes next? Brent talks to Lyman Stone, an adjunct fellow at AEI and a research fellow at the Institute for […]

The post What’s the next move on COVID? appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Meet Your New Colleague: Artificial Intelligence

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 19:30:16 -0500

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and machine learning in recent decades has had a ripple effect throughout the economy. As the economic landscape continues to change, we are once again asking ourselves about what the future of work looks like, and, when it comes to computers exactly who will be working for whom. Brent […]

The post Meet Your New Colleague: Artificial Intelligence appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Building workforce and prosperity from the ground up

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 19:30:00 -0500

Brent talks with a panel of workforce experts about how Austin, TX has found success in getting people back to work where so many cities have struggled.

The post Building workforce and prosperity from the ground up appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

It will take a village to help youth navigate life post-COVID

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 27 May 2020 19:30:10 -0500

Millions of youth are neither in school nor working, falling through the cracks of the various systems put in place to help them transition into adulthood. The spread of COVID-19 will become another barrier in these young people’s lives as they pursue economic independence. On this episode, Brent talks to Anne Kim, author of “Abandoned: […]

The post It will take a village to help youth navigate life post-COVID appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

The limits of science: How our obsession with data interferes with our pursuit of knowledge

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 20 May 2020 20:00:37 -0500

Brent and Michael Blastland discuss the advantages and risks of our scientific and technological dependance in the COVID-19 age

The post The limits of science: How our obsession with data interferes with our pursuit of knowledge appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Is There a Better Way to Solve Poverty?

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 13 May 2020 20:00:12 -0500

Brent talks to Mauricio Miller about the success working with low-income families to develop generational change has in lifting people out of poverty

The post Is There a Better Way to Solve Poverty? appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

The building blocks of the federal workforce system

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 06 May 2020 20:00:14 -0500

AEI's Brent Orrell and Mason Bishop discuss the value of many government workforce development programs and how to find a more effective solution

The post The building blocks of the federal workforce system appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

COVID-19: Another barrier to employment for low-skilled workers?

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 19:30:00 -0500

Goodwill CEO and former HUD Secretary Steve Preston talks with Brent about how to provide disadvantaged workers with the skills needed in the modern economy

The post COVID-19: Another barrier to employment for low-skilled workers? appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Finding purpose behind bars (with Chris Wilson)

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 20:00:41 -0500

Chris Wilson joins Brent to discuss how goal-setting gave his life purpose in prison, and how those same goals allowed him to give back once out of prison.

The post Finding purpose behind bars (with Chris Wilson) appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

Will technological advances transform work?

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 20:00:28 -0500

Computer technology and robotics are transforming the global economy in ways still not fully known. What implications does this have for the US workforce?

The post Will technological advances transform work? appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

What, if anything, works in prisoner reentry?

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 20:00:54 -0500

Every year, 600,000 Americans are released from prison, and nearly two-thirds of them will be rearrested for new crimes within three years. Many attempts at reducing criminal recidivism have yielded disappointing results, leading researchers and policymakers to ask “what works” in improving the odds of a successful return to society? Brent Orrell is joined by […]

The post What, if anything, works in prisoner reentry? appeared first on American Enterprise Institute - AEI.

The Centuries Long Pursuit of “The Good Life”

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 15:30:00 -0500

Can the writings of an 18^th century philosopher help the modern person find meaning and purpose? Before he wrote the Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith wrote another book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, which helps us understand how a good life, one marked by both prosperity and personal happiness, is achieved.

Join Brent Orrell and Ryan Hanley, a professor of political science at Boston College, for a discussion of his latest book “Our Great Purpose: Adam Smith on Living a Better Life (Princeton University Press, 2019)”.

Workforce of tomorrow: How early child care shapes adult employment

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 15:30:00 -0500

Babies begin learning from the moment they are born, absorbing and processing the world around them. However, their ability to process and understand large quantities of information diminishes over time. Research shows that if a child enters kindergarten behind, they are unlikely to catch up to their peers. Because of this, the early years of life are crucial to human capital development and our nation’s ability to maintain an efficient and productive workforce.

In this episode, AEI Scholar Katharine Stevens and Brent discuss how quality child care is a form of workforce preparation.

The family advantage

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 15:30:00 -0500

Family is the seedbed of skill development for young children: relationships within the family influence a child’s development in all areas of their life. Furthermore, as family structure has morphed and shifted over the past few decades, so have the economic outcomes for children.

In this episode, Brent Orrell hosts Alan Hawkins of Brigham Young University and W. Bradford Wilcox of AEI to discuss marriage, family life, and the economics of family formation. Join us as they discuss the impact of family structure on long-term outcomes for kids.

Is success a sequence? How choices affect outcomes

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 15:30:00 -0500

The success sequence shows that people who finish high school, work full-time, and marry before having children have a low chance of experiencing poverty. Yet fostering and developing those behaviors is complex and affected by countless external factors.

In this episode, host Brent Orrell joins Isabell Sawhill of the Brookings Institution and Ian Rowe, a visiting fellow at AEI and Fordham Institute and cohost of AEI's "Are You Kidding Me?" podcast. Together, they discuss ways to help young people find and maintain pathways to success as they enter adulthood.

The divided brain: Perception, social life, and interpersonal neurobiology

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 15:30:00 -0500

In this episode of "Hardly Working," host Brent Orrell is joined by Dr. Iain McGilchrist, author of "The Master and His Emissary," to discuss how the makeup of our brain influences our work and social lives. Dr. McGilchrist is a psychiatrist and professor of literature residing on the Isle of Skye in North West Scotland.

Why 'Hardly Working'?

American Enterprise Institute — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 15:30:00 -0500

We know... do we really need another podcast in this world? How will this actually help us in our careers and lives?

Host Brent Orrell explains what drove him to create Hardly Working, what this podcast provides, the experience he brings, and how he believes this podcast will make you a better worker, a better citizen, and a better person.

Welcome to 'Hardly Working'

American Enterprise Institute — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 15:30:00 -0500

Whether you are working hard or hardly working, join AEI Resident Fellow Brent Orrell as he explores national trends and public policies affecting the vitality of the American workforce and how to prepare yourself for success in our rapidly-changing economy. And whatever else happens, we promise it will take your mind off of your job.

Join Brent as he introduces the newest addition to the AEI Podcast Network: "Hardly Working."