It’s been quite the Spring in Central Wisconsin. Two feet of snow fell in a day during UWSP’s Spring Break. Two weeks later in early April, an ice storm ravaged the area with downed trees and power lines. Mid-April witnessed heavy downpours and flooding rivers while tornadoes touched down in Marathon County. Wisconsinites have demonstrated […]
More...
It’s been quite a ride in 2026 – economically, militarily, and politically. Hang on – the ride has just begun. This report focuses on the economic ups and downs thus far in 2026 with economics, U.S. military operations, and politics all intertwined. U.S. military operations and politics have significant impacts on the economy. As a […]
More...
In 2025 tariffs became one of the dominating topics affecting the U.S. economy and international relations. That trend continued in 2026, as the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated some of the tariffs in February, changing the economic and political landscape once again. This blog will review the U.S. Supreme Court decision, recount recent tariff history, and evaluate the […]
More...
For many Americans, the labor market, inflation, and housing affordability are perhaps the most important economic measures that affect their daily lives and economic standard of living. This blog will focus on the labor market, which provides a mirror for the U.S. economy. Economic growth continued in 2025, but not all was well with the […]
More...
The Federal Reserve and its chairman, Jerome Powell, have been in the spotlight recently for a variety of reasons, including the lowering of interest rates, Federal Reserve independence, and legal issues. The economy is significantly impacted by monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. government. Fiscal policy includes government spending and tax policies, which historically […]
More...
I am excited to announce that Mashaal Stanekzai has joined the Center for Business and Economic Insight team as a research assistant this fall. Mashaal holds a double major in accounting and business administration and has a minor in economics. Mashaal is also a budding entrepreneur as an owner of Al Madinah Cuisine and Asian […]
More...
As 2025 comes to an end, it’s a mixed bag for the U.S. economy. Tariffs played the central role in shaping U.S. economic policy in 2025, and the long-term impact of tariffs is yet to be realized. 2026 features much uncertainty surrounding tariffs, namely legal issues, tariff implementation, and economic effects. By historical standards, the […]
More...
2025 has been a turbulent year for tariffs and trade, with U.S. trade policy resulting in much international economic and trade uncertainty. Executive orders and trade deals have changed the tariff landscape on almost a weekly basis. Prior to 2025, global tariff rates were relatively low since early this century. That changed in 2025, when […]
More...
Thank you, Michael and Welcome, Naomi! by Scott Wallace Michael Brierton, senior research assistant, has accomplished much during his three-year academic career at UWSP. Michael and fellow accounting major Brooke Peterson recently took first place at the Wisconsin RMA Commercial Lending Case Competition for the second year in a row. Michael presented his research, A […]
More...
The United States entered 2025 with the largest and strongest economy in the world. In 2024, moderate economic growth continued, with more Americans working than ever before. Job gains were recorded in every month with December the 48th consecutive month of job growth. The labor market was balanced with unemployment hovering around 4.0% and real […]
More...