Knowledge & Decisions Economic Consulting

10/29/2026

🎙️ KD Economics is excited to help launch a new conversation about the future of manufacturing.

Economist Michael Austin is teaming up with Ryan Nelson of Circle 5 Coaching for a new podcast: People in Production.

The show explores what’s changing in manufacturing, why it matters, and what those changes mean for businesses, leaders, and employees.

In the first episode, Michael and Ryan tackle a fundamental question:

Who benefits when a company becomes more profitable?

Profitability creates options, to invest in equipment, develop employees, retain talent, adopt new technology, weather downturns, and create new opportunities.

But profitability only creates the possibilities.

Leadership determines what happens with them.

🎥 Watch Episode 1 of People in Production at the link below.

https://youtu.be/tr3hkMT-6P4?is=RTFLYko6l_moNPKM

Profitability is often treated like an owner’s issue.But what hap...

10/23/2026

More orders do not always mean stronger margins.

The Kansas City Fed's October regional report describes improved orders for durable-goods manufacturers and stronger business services. It also reports higher diesel and shipping costs and manufacturers extending hours or shifts because labor is hard to find.

That combination should sound familiar to leaders deciding whether to expand: demand matters, but so do the cost of filling an order, the capacity to deliver it, and the profit left afterward.

A useful growth decision asks: Which orders create value after the added labor, materials, shipping, and delivery risk are counted?

Read the regional report:

The Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington DC.

10/19/2026

A 90% success rate deserves a second question: Compared with what?

Suppose 90% of people completing a training program find work. Among people who did not participate, 70% find work.

That is a 20 percentage-point difference. It does not yet show how much the program caused.

Did participants start with more experience? Did admission requirements select people already likely to succeed? Or did the program serve people facing greater barriers?

Those differences can change the interpretation in either direction.

A credible evaluation examines who was served, where they started, and what likely would have happened without the program.

KD Economics helps organizations build that comparison and explain their results with confidence.

Planning an evaluation? Think about the comparison before the program begins.

10/14/2026

A stronger manufacturing economy starts with understanding what is actually happening on the shop floor—and getting the right people in the room to talk about it.

KD Economics’ Michael Austin joined Ryan Nelson of Circle 5 Coaching to co-facilitate a Regional Manufacturing Leadership Gathering bringing together manufacturers, industry associations, educators, economic development partners, and other manufacturing stakeholders from Kansas and Missouri.

Participants examined the major forces shaping the region’s manufacturing future: workforce and leadership, economics and competitiveness, technology and innovation, the external business environment, and the broader manufacturing ecosystem.

But the conversation went beyond identifying problems.

The group worked toward defining the manufacturing environment we want to see by 2029, identifying the barriers that could prevent us from getting there, and determining what capabilities—and what level of collaboration—will be necessary to close that gap.

At Knowledge & Decisions Economic Consulting, this is an important part of what we do: combine economic analysis with stakeholder engagement to help organizations turn complex challenges into clearer priorities and actionable strategy.

Thank you to Ryan and to every participant who contributed their experience, ideas, and leadership to the conversation.

10/12/2026

“A busier stadium neighborhood doesn't necessarily mean a richer Kansas City.”

KD Economics founder Michael Austin shared that distinction with KMBC 9 in its coverage of the proposed Royals stadium at Crown Center.

Projections of attendance, spending, and tax collections can help explain the activity a project could support. Determining whether taxpayers receive a good return requires additional analysis.

How much spending would be genuinely new to Kansas City? How much would shift from other local businesses? How do the public benefits compare with the costs and alternative uses of those dollars?

Those questions matter whenever an organization uses an economic study to guide a major investment.

KD Economics helps leaders understand what the evidence supports, what remains unanswered, and what to examine before committing resources.

Read the KMBC story:
https://www.kmbc.com/article/royals-stadium-crown-center-economic-impact-study/74039332

Knowledge That Guides. Decisions That Last.

A new study projects nearly 26,000 fans per Royals game and about 1 million new annual visits to businesses around a proposed Crown Center stadium.

10/09/2026

A proposal can create benefits overall and still face a practical obstacle: the organization paying for it may receive only part of the return.

Consider a hypothetical employer-funded training program.

The employer pays upfront. Workers gain skills they may carry throughout their careers. Other businesses may benefit if those workers later change jobs.

That does not settle whether the investment is worthwhile. It helps explain why the funding arrangement matters.

Who pays? Who benefits? When do those benefits arrive?

Answering those questions can help organizations structure partnerships and set realistic expectations.

KD Economics helps leaders connect the economic case for an investment with a practical plan for carrying it out.

10/07/2026

Economic impact and return on investment answer different questions.

An economic impact study can estimate the jobs, earnings, and business activity associated with an organization or project.

A return-on-investment analysis asks how defined benefits compare with costs, over a stated period and from a stated perspective.

A large economic footprint does not, by itself, establish that a particular subsidy or investment is worthwhile. That requires examining alternatives and what would likely happen without it.

Choosing the right analysis starts with knowing what you need to establish.

KD Economics helps organizations measure their contribution, evaluate investments, and communicate findings they can defend.

Knowledge That Guides. Decisions That Last.

10/05/2026

The less expensive workforce program may cost more per successful hire.

Suppose two training proposals each enroll 100 people.

Program A costs $100,000 and produces 40 graduates who enter relevant jobs.

Program B costs $150,000 and produces 75.

That works out to $2,500 per job placement for A and $2,000 for B.

But the analysis should continue. Do those workers stay? What do they earn? Are the programs serving people with different needs? How many would have found similar work without the training?

A useful comparison considers cost, outcomes, and what explains the difference.

KD Economics helps organizations work through those questions before committing resources.

Have a workforce investment coming before your board? Let’s talk.

10/02/2026

Happy Manufacturing Day!

It is exciting to see a new generation discover advanced manufacturing careers built around precision, technology, problem-solving, and highly skilled work.

As manufacturing technology continues to improve, so do the opportunities for young people to build rewarding careers while helping build the products our economy depends on.

Here’s to the next generation of American manufacturing!

10/02/2026

Before committing resources, ask what would have to change for the decision to stop making sense.

Would lower participation alter the value of a proposed program? Would higher costs change the case for an investment? Would a longer timeline affect the expected benefit?

Testing those assumptions helps leaders see where a proposal is resilient and where it needs more work.

KD Economics helps organizations examine tradeoffs, assess alternatives, and communicate the reasoning behind a recommendation.

If your organization is weighing a consequential choice, let’s identify the questions that deserve answers first.

Knowledge That Guides. Decisions That Last.