A Conversation with U.S. Senator Mark Warner

The U.S. economy is in the midst of rapid structural and technological change. The past decade has been marked by a continued decline in U.S. manufacturing jobs and a more recent increase in the number of Americans engaged in the “on demand” or “gig economy.” With the labor market tightening and higher skilled workers in increasing demand, too many workers are still left behind. Many lack the skills or experience to be job-ready, or do not have access to jobs with the potential for advancement, raising a host of issues about the roles of government and the private sector in workforce training.

On April 2, the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University Of Chicago (BFI) welcomed U.S. Senator Mark Warner for a conversation about these and other challenges facing American workers and the U.S. economy more broadly. BFI Director Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman Professor in Economics and the College, and the Harris School, moderated the discussion.