Anatomy of a tariff

Great WP column by George Will today discussing the likely tariff the US will be imposing on washers and dryers.  This is a classic case where the largest domestic producer Whirlpool has bought out its biggest domestic rival (Maytag) but now claims it needs to be protected from Samsung and LG who have produced more innovative machines at lower prices.  Money quote: Whirlpool is "more adept at manipulating Washington than it is at making washing machines."

College degrees needed? Watch what employers do, not what they say

Do you need a college degree to get ahead today?  Two recent headlines caught my eye.  In each case an enterprising reporter or academic does a survey of employers.

Exhibit A: WSJ reports the results of a US Labor Department survey which finds that less than 20% of all jobs require a college degree.  So maybe college is a waste of time??

Exhibit B: Harvard B-school prof Joseph Fuller finds in his survey that employers are requiring college degrees not so much because the current job requires college level skills but because college grads are more adaptable and do not require training.

A college degree continues to be one of the best investments that young people can make, leading to a lifetime learning differential 55-65% above those who stop their schooling at high school.  Are employers so stupid that they would pay that much more for nothing?  Beware the cable channel talking heads proclaiming that college is a waste of time and money.

Great ratings news for NC State's MBA

NC State's Jenkins MBA received more great rankings news from Bloomberg Businessweek and the QS Global MBA rankings.  Bloomberg ranked the full-time program #36 among public universities and #70 overall.  The program ranked #28 overall in the super-critical job placement dimension with 92% placement in 2016 within three months of graduation.  NC State's MBA also did well on the employer survey, placing #54 overall.

NC State's full-time MBA placed in the #111-120 category in the QS Global MBA rankings.  The program placed #58 in the world on the employability dimension, which reflects employer feedback and placement statistics.  Focusing solely on US schools, NC State's MBA came in at #53 overall, #30 on employability and #46 on thought leadership.

Rankings for the part-time and online programs will appear in the spring.