FEATURED POST
May 2, 2024
Low-wage workers saw big pay jumps after the pandemic. High earners did even better.
The lowest earners, those people in the first or bottom quartile, had the largest percentage growth in annual pay gains over the last three years.
Read more
Subscribe to Data Lab
Stay up-to-date on the latest reports and trends.
Stay up to date with Data Lab
Please complete all fields.
Filter by:
July 12, 2021
MainStreet Macro: Special Edition- The glass ceiling just got harder to crack
Women’s job losses during the pandemic topped those of men for the first time in U.S. economic history. The “shecession” left millions of women pulled between work and new family responsibilities. As employees, women also were concentrated in industries hit hardest by social-distancing restrictions, such as retail and leisure and hospitality. At the ADP Research Institute, we wanted to know what happened to the women who stayed in the workforce during the pandemic year. Here are a few things we learned about women in the workplace during the pandemic.
Read more
June 28, 2021
MainStreet Macro: Introducing ADP’s Quarterly Small Business @ Work Survey
Main Street firms were forced to reduce headcount quickly during the pandemic. But thanks to a potent formula of government stimulus and sheer grit, small firms led the recovery from the worst of the downturn. A new quarterly survey from the ADP Research Institute might help. The Small Business @ Work Survey, which I’m pleased to introduce here, will take the ongoing pulse of their economy. Here are key findings from our inaugural report.
Read more
June 21, 2021
MainStreet Macro: The Fed’s Role: Thermometer or thermostat?
It came as a surprise to no one, anywhere, that the Fed left interest rates at near zero when the Board of Governors met for its regularly scheduled policy meeting last week.
The twist in the announcement, though, was a hint that the Fed might raise short-term rates and lower monthly bond purchases sooner than it had suggested. Today we discuss what hats the Fed needs to wear to help Wall Street, Main Street and the overall economy.
Read more
June 14, 2021
MainStreet Macro: Should MainStreet Care about Student Debt?
This month, students around the country will graduate from college, vocational schools, and high school after a year of learning like no other. Well it’s almost like no other. One constant of higher education before and after the pandemic has been its high price tag. U.S. students owe a whopping $1.7 trillion in combined debt. Outstanding student loans have skyrocketed 90% over the past decade. Should Main Street care about student debt?
Read more
June 7, 2021
MainStreet Macro: Where are the workers?
by Nela Richardson, Ph.D.
Last week, the May jobs report captured the attention of economists, policymakers, Wall Street and Main Street. We know where the jobs are. This week, we answer the other question that has plagued us this year – where are all the workers?
Read more
June 1, 2021
MainStreet Macro: The Economy Needs a Vacation–Yours
Memorial Day weekend – the unofficial kickoff to summer. If you’re like me, yours looks like a combination of work and play.
But this year, many Americans have had to postpone their usual summer planning. And many others are preparing to make do with less as states begin to revoke a federal unemployment benefit. On this weeks blog, we look at three ways of looking at this summer's labor outlook.
Read more
May 24, 2021
MainStreet Macro: The Retail Remix
Last week we explained how to understand the economy in five easy steps. This week we focus on the most important indicator to watch – consumer spending. The great reopening has many of us dusting off our credit cards to shop (I’ll be honest, I never stopped). Yet the retail landscape is being transformed. Trends in place before COVID-19 accelerated during the pandemic and are remixing retail into the future.
Read more
May 17, 2021
MainStreet Macro: How are we doing? Unpacking the economy in five easy steps
Fourteen months after the pandemic’s initial assault, Main Streeters want to know how we’re doing.
The answer isn’t simple. There’s a deluge of data, but depending on where you look, you could find different answers.
So how are we doing – really? Here are five things to watch to get a sense of the economy’s overall well-being, ranked from important to very important.
Read more
