For the past thirty years, Mr. Grimes has been engaged in economic forecasting for state and local governments. He is frequently called upon by those units to analyze policy and to evaluate economic strategies. He received his master’s degree in Economics from the University of Michigan, and is currently a Senior Research Specialist at the University’s Institute for Research on Labor, Employment, and the Economy (IRLEE), where he is Assistant Director of the Center for Labor Market Research. His primary research interests are in labor economics and economic forecasting.