November 9, 2026
Upjohn Institute researchers participated in the 2026 APPAM Fall Research Conference on Nov 5–7 at the Marriott Copley Place in Boston, Massachusetts. Their work spanned several employment-related topics of current policy interest, including self-employment, Medicaid policy, child care, education, and AI.
Thursday, November 5th
8:30 to 10:00 am
Susan Houseman presented her paper (joint with Katharine Abraham and Beth Truesdale), “Are the Self-Employed Really Their Own Boss?” as part of the panel “Beyond Wages: Worker Choice, Autonomy, and Wellbeing in Flexible and Nonstandard Work.”
10:15 to 11:45 am
The “Reimagining Job Quality Measurement: Learning from the American Job Quality Survey” roundtable convened researchers and policy experts to explore insights made possible by the American Job Quality Study.
1:45 to 3:15 pm
Michelle Miller-Adams gave a presentation on “Medicaid Work Reporting Rules and Local Responses: Lessons from Two Michigan Communities,” in the Effects of HR1 Implementation on Medicaid Enrollment and Mitigation Strategies panel. It expands on her previous work on the impact of HR1 in Michigan
1:45 to 3:15 pm
Aaron Sojourner chaired the “Empirical Evidence on Child Care Supply and the Child Care Workforce” session. Session papers examined how states and municipalities have expanded child care funding, focusing on the benefits and costs of investing in child care providers and workers.
Ethan Jenkins presented the paper “What Do Child Care Suppliers Do With Free Money?” as part of the session.
1:45 to 3:15 pm
Brad Hershbein chaired the Unemployment Insurance, Administrative Capacity, and Labor Market Outcomes panel.
1:45 to 3:15 pm
Monique Davis presented her paper (joint with Kenneth Whaley and Jamein Cunningham), “The Effect of School Finance Reforms on Homicide Victimization of Black Males,” in the panel Reducing Homicide and Gun Violence: Evidence on Schools, Jobs, and Community Strategies.
1:45 - 3:15 pm
Chloe Gibbs spoke on the panel, Designing 21st Century Policies for U.S. Families Balancing Work, Parenting, and Economic Security.
3:30 - 5 pm
Chloe Gibbs presented her paper "In Partnership with Parents: Measuring Head Start Effects on Parenting Practices" in the panel Federal and State Investments in Early Childhood and Parent Outcomes.
November 6th
10:15 to 11:45 am
Aaron Sojourner presented “When ICE Comes to Town: The Effects of Immigration Enforcement Operations on Local Economic Activity” as part of the Effects of Aggressive Immigration Enforcement panel discussion. It was based on previous work highlighted here.
November 7th
8:30 to 10:00 am
Brad Hershbein joined the Navigating Higher Education Opportunity: From Affirmative Action Reform to Community College Pathways panel as a discussant.
10:15 to 11:45 am
Aaron Sojourner presented the paper “Selection in Teacher Hiring Pipelines and Implications for Workforce Diversity” as part of the Teacher Pipeline under Pressure: New Evidence on Interest, Certification, Hiring, and Retention panel.
10:15 to 11:45 am
Brian Asquith presented “Evicted from Opportunity: Labor Market Effects of Housing Loss in High-Productivity Cities” as part of the Housing and Human Capital panel.
3:30 to 5:00 pm
Upjohn Institute President Michael Horrigan presented his co-authored paper “AI Exposure and the Future of Work: Tasks, Skill Demand, and Demographics” as part of the AI, Labor Markets, and Economic Impacts panel.
Experts
