Cooling inflation does not mean lower prices. On the newest Michigan Minds podcast, ISR economist Joanne Hsu explains why consumers remain frustrated with high prices, how labor market concerns are shaping spending decisions, and why consumer sentiment still matters for the broader economy.

In the latest ISR Insights talk, Robert Manduca examines how property tax base fragmentation drives inequality across U.S. metro areas. His research shows how jurisdictional boundaries shape tax burdens and public services in neighboring communities.

Consumer sentiment was largely unchanged in February at 56.6, per the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. ISR economist Joanne Hsu highlights persistent frustration over high prices and sharp divides by wealth and income in how Americans see the economy.

A new health tracking index built from Health and Retirement Study data is helping researchers understand aging in the U.S. ISR research scientist Amanda Sonnega helped develop the 10 item IAM+ index with partners at Florida State, Tufts, University of Washington, and the Urban Institute.

Michigan signed a new K–12 classroom cell phone policy into law. U-M’s Brian Jacob says research links phone and social media use to lower academic engagement and poorer youth mental health. He calls the law a step forward, but stresses that strong implementation will determine its impact.

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Not all self-employment offers the same security. New U-M research using PSID data on about 10,000 U.S. families finds informal gig and odd-job work is tied to lower earnings, poorer health, and more instability. ISR researcher Joelle Abramowitz explains why these distinctions matter.

Denmark shows how policy can reduce the motherhood earnings penalty. ISR researcher @sashakillewald.bsky.social finds paid leave, child allowances, and subsidized child care offset about 80% of mothers’ earnings losses.

"What if addiction could bind us together instead of tearing us apart?" TOMORROW at @literatibookstore.bsky.social: RCGD medical anthropologist Liz Roberts joins @ulabeast.bsky.social for a talk on her book, In Praise of Addiction. literatibookstore.com/event/2026-0...

If you haven't been asked yet, here is your sign to be our ISR Valentine ❤️

Property taxes fund local services, but fragmented tax bases can create stark inequality across neighboring jurisdictions. Join us Feb 12 for ISR Insights with Robert Manduca on 138M geocoded tax records and municipal tax havens. Watch the preview video: myumi.ch/Xyede

Black History Month at ISR means advancing research that documents inequities and supports Black lives and futures. Happy Black History Month!

Today’s panel on organizational insights from the Berlin Philharmonic explored leadership, collaboration, and performance across music, management, and social science. Special thanks to our panelists Stefan Dohr, Gretchen Spreitzer, Matthew VanBesien, and Mark Clague for a great conversation!

How do sidewalks and neighborhood design affect aging? ISR researcher Philippa Clarke shows how curb cuts and uneven pavement shape mobility, safety, and aging in place. Watch the video to hear Philippa Clarke explain how community design shapes everyday aging experiences!

Who should care for older adults, especially when dementia is involved? New ISR research led by @spattersearch.bsky.social finds strong expectations for family caregiving, even as families shrink and needs grow. Learn more about this study on caregiving expectations: myumi.ch/kPEqj

@umichstonecid.bsky.social at ISR has received a 5 million dollar gift from the Stone Foundation to advance research on wealth inequality and mobility. Learn more about this gift to the Stone Center: myumi.ch/Nr4pD

New ISR consumer sentiment data show a small January uptick, but overall views remain well below last year as many households feel squeezed by high prices and worry about jobs. Survey director Joanne Hsu explains how inflation, incomes, and tariffs are shaping these cautious outlooks.

The Shades of ISR Pantone ™️ palette 💙 💛

The deadline for ISR’s Junior Professional Researcher Program is approaching. ISR Director Kate Cagney recently highlighted how JPR launches social science research careers in a Look to Leadership column. Apply by February 1, 2026! Read the article: myumi.ch/kP5Qk

The application portal is now open for the 2026 Summer Data Immersion Program, hosted by the Michigan Center for Contextual Factors in Alzheimer's Disease, using #PSIDdata. Join us at @umisr.bsky.social in May. #Umich #AcademicSky #PSID Apply by Monday, Feb. 2: myumi.ch/mRWPj

Behind the scenes! 👀 This week our team at NYC HPD welcomed the newest NYCHVS field interviewers for training. The New York City Housing & Vacancy Survey informs key housing policy with citywide data on homes, affordability, & neighborhoods. Thanks to our partners @umisr.bsky.social & @cuny.edu!

Thank you to everyone who attended State of the I today. ISR faculty, staff, and students filled the atrium and overflow room as leadership reflected on recent accomplishments, shared priorities for the year ahead, and reaffirmed our commitment to research in the public interest. #GoBlue

Happy State of the I day to those who celebrate! Today ISR leadership is sharing key updates, recent achievements, and future goals for the Institute for Social Research. Stay tuned for photos from the event later today.

I'm looking forward to seeing this presentation today at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. How do you recontact members of a study that ended years prior? events.umich.edu/event/143024

For Martin Luther King Jr Day, join Extending the Legacy: Innovations of the 25 Year Follow up of the National Survey of American Life, a hybrid event on what 25 years of data reveal about stress, resilience, and dementia in Black communities Join us at 2 pm at ISR or virtually!

As we celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr on this #MLKDay, civil rights activist Donzaleigh Abernathy and NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson will deliver the 40th annual MLK Keynote Memorial Lecture at 10am inside Hill Auditorium. Livestream: myumi.ch/9p15V

At a special meeting this afternoon, Kent Syverud was voted as the University of Michigan’s 16th President by the U-M Board of Regents. myumi.ch/JPJjG

How do housing tax policies shape racial inequality? Join the @umichstonecid.bsky.social ‬ at ISR on Jan 14, 12:00–1:30 p.m. in ISR 6050 for @joelabriola.bsky.social talk on the mortgage interest deduction and the White Black wealth gap. Learn more: inequality.umich.edu/speaker-seri...

What teens think their peers are doing can shape their behavior. ISR researcher Richard Miech explains how @mtfstudy.bsky.social data helps schools, families, and communities better understand teen drug use and support healthier outcomes. Watch now: myumi.ch/P3Rw5

Ready to launch your social science career? ISR’s Junior Professional Researcher (JPR) Program is a full time paid opportunity offering hands on research experience, mentorship from ISR faculty, and professional training at the world’s largest social science research institute.

New U-M research from ISR’s Sasha Killewald finds that women now earn about 85% of men’s hourly wages, up from 65% in the mid 1980s, and about 8% of that narrowing is linked to having fewer children. Learn more: myumi.ch/kPWeG

ISR gathered yesterday for our annual winter party, bringing colleagues together to reflect on the past year, celebrate our shared work, and enjoy time together outside of the day to day. It was a great opportunity to connect across centers and mark the season together!

New U-M survey led by ISR’s Bob Marans and Noah Webster with the Graham Sustainability Institute found that nearly 6,000 students, faculty, and staff across all three campuses report strong engagement with sustainable behaviors and climate awareness. Read more: myumi.ch/y1Wy8

Despite steady spending, consumer sentiment has dropped sharply in 2025. ISR’s Joanne Hsu, director of the Surveys of Consumers, notes that Americans are still anchored to pre-pandemic prices and “haven’t collectively come to grips” with lasting increases. Read more: myumi.ch/3RJEz

TODAY AT NOON: What do chronic viruses reveal about our health and social lives? ISR’s Grace Noppert shares her research on how infections like herpes reflect the impact of inequality and early-life environments. Learn more: events.umich.edu/event/136462

What do chronic viruses say about our lives? TOMORROW: Join ISR researcher Grace Noppert as she explores how chronic infections, like herpes, reveal the long-term effects of our social environments. Watch the preview: youtube.com/watch?si=54hVuSKsV9klUzbu&v=UYCfPaR5F3s&feature=youtu.be

Last week, we hosted ISR’s Ethan Kross for a fireside chat on emotion science and his book "Shift" Kross explored how we can use science to manage our emotions and improve our lives. Watch now: myumi.ch/e3q3A Like this event? Don’t miss the next ISR Insights talk: events.umich.edu/event/136462

Suzanne Perkins, research assistant professor at ISR’s RCGD, is using neuroscience to understand how childhood maltreatment impacts learning. Learn more about Suzanne and her incredible work in this feature by Future of Learning: myumi.ch/3RXZ1

🔍 Discover the Michigan Program in Survey and Data Science at the University of Michigan, with Sunghee Lee, research professor and director of MPSDS. 📊 Ready to shape the future with data? Learn more at: surveydatascience.isr.umich.edu Watch the video: myumi.ch/VVZmN #GoBlue #SurveyScience

#LookToMichigan and the University of Michigan @umisrcps.bsky.social Center for Political Studies for leading work on democracy, civic, and global engagement. Repost & follow our research on *both* Bluesky and LinkedIn! @umisr.bsky.social www.linkedin.com/company/1066...

ISR’s Noura Insolera explains how PSID’s decades of data reveal when and how families fall into or out of food insecurity. Watch here: myumi.ch/rAMm6

This May 6-8 (2026), I will be offering a three-day online short course on practical tools for the analysis of complex sample survey data (with weights, strata, clusters, replicate weights, etc.) via Statistical Horizons: statisticalhorizons.com/seminars/ana... Click the link for additional info!

Does health insurance save lives? Our member Helen Levy of @umisr.bsky.social has done original research and research reviews on this exact question and is quoted in this new @washingtonpost.com story: wapo.st/3XmmT3I

A new Wall Street Journal article highlights growing divergence in economic sentiment. ISR's Joanne Hsu explains why stock market gains lift wealthy Americans’ confidence and spending, while others feel left behind. Read more in the Wall Street Journal: myumi.ch/79kyz

A recent Forbes article features ISR’s Joanne Hsu on signs of a “K-shaped” economy. Hsu notes growing frustration as consumers face persistent high prices, with many low-income households reporting worsening personal finances while higher earners continue to spend. Read more: myumi.ch/rAzxx

Join us Nov. 11 at ISR for Laura Tach's in-person talk hosted by @umichstonecid.bsky.social on the impact of federal place-based policies and neighborhood inequality. RSVP now to attend: inequality.umich.edu/laura-tach/

DMACS finds Detroiters who are optimistic about the city are more likely to vote, with key priorities including schools, safety, and housing. Read more: myumi.ch/e3dnM #Detroit #voting #science #survey #housing

johnkubale.bsky.social, Research Assistant Professor at ISR’s ICPSR, shares how new data sources, like cell phone mobility and wastewater surveillance, can improve infectious disease tracking in rural areas. Watch now: myumi.ch/XyDWR

ISR economist Dean Yang joins NPR’s Planet Money to unpack the surprising surge, and looming drop, in U.S. remittances to low-income countries. His insights reveal how U.S. immigration policy changes could ripple across global economies, especially in Central America. Listen now: myumi.ch/A1m8J

From idea to adaptive intervention: ISR’s @d3center.bsky.social and Rogel Cancer Center launch MAPCI, an NCI-funded program training researchers to design adaptive cancer studies. Free Feb 24–27 2026 institute in Ann Arbor. Apply by Nov 14: www.mapci.space