Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Analyst Urges Focus on Workforce Changes Over Time

1/12/2026

50 5

Summary

Story summary

Michael Cushman, in Washington, D.C., argues that analysts should study changes in the workforce within people's lifetimes rather than jobs lost over the past 170 years.
He argues that this approach makes recent job market trends more relevant than long-run historical data.
The shift changes how analysts interpret labor-market data by focusing on near-term dynamics.

1 of 1

Story summary

Michael Cushman, in Washington, D.C., argues that analysts should study changes in the workforce within people's lifetimes rather than jobs lost over the past 170 years.
He argues that this approach makes recent job market trends more relevant than long-run historical data.
The shift changes how analysts interpret labor-market data by focusing on near-term dynamics.