99 years of economic insights for Indiana

The IBR is a publication of the Indiana Business Research Center at IU's Kelley School of Business.

Executive Editor, Carol O. Rogers
Managing Editor, Brittany L. Hotchkiss

Fall 2008

Fall 2008 Indiana Business Review
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Minimum Wage Impacts on Employment: A Look at Indiana, Illinois, and Surrounding Midwestern States
By Michael F. Thompson

Shifting Gears: Recent Changes in Indiana's Economy
By Timothy F. Slaper and Alex W. Cohen

From the Editor

As this issue goes to press, we face a series of shocks to the financial markets (Fannie, Freddie, Lehman Bros, AIG). We anticipate much will be written in the coming months about the financial markets, particularly in the next issue, which will reveal the forecasts for the coming year. But for now, let’s focus on what our contributing authors reveal about jobs, wages, and industrial productivity. First up, economic analyst Michael Thompson weighs in on the recurrent question of whether setting higher minimums has an adverse effect on job growth. His analysis hones in on Indiana and the Midwest, with significant insights on border counties, as well. Economist Timothy Slaper shifts gears to a broader view with his trend analysis on the Indiana economy since the 2001 recession, revealing much about the effect of the life sciences efforts of the state on changing patterns of our top performing industries. As always, enjoy the fruits of our authors’ labors and don’t hesitate to weigh in with your comments by e-mailing ibrc@iu.edu.

–Carol O. Rogers, Executive Editor