Future of America

Future of America

Future of America

Future of America

Future of America

Explore insights, resources, and stories to inspire sustainable and inclusive growth in America

Future of America podcast

Join us in conversation with people who are accelerating sustainable and inclusive growth across the US.

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Three generations of a Black family pose together and smile outside their home.
The state of Black residents: The relevance of place to racial equity and outcomes
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At the current pace of change, it could take decades to improve outcomes for Black Americans and more than three centuries to get to racial parity. How can different types of communities move closer to delivering a better quality of life for all residents?
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Taking a skills-based approach to building the future workforce
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Our work with the Rework America Alliance highlights how a skills-based approach can help US employers expand talent pools and retain great workers—even through economic uncertainty.
Two women collaborating
The overlooked contributions and hidden challenges of Asian Americans
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Asian Americans play a key role in creating a more sustainable and inclusive economy. A new report explores the challenges this group faces and how companies can better support them.
Closeup of Hispanic businesswoman in office meeting
Empowering economic growth in the Latino community
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Domenika Lynch, head of the Aspen Institute’s Latinos and Society Program, and McKinsey’s Bernardo Sichel discuss the economic state of Latinos in America and ways to remove barriers to participation.
Sun setting between city buildings
How Americans are feeling about economic opportunities and the future
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The American Opportunity Survey spotlights Americans’ views on the state of the economy and other trends. What did researchers find about how people think things are going and what the future holds?
Aerial view of a small American town
Growing and sustaining prosperity for small-town Americans
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The divide between rural and urban communities has widened as the COVID-19 pandemic pushes rural communities’ economic recovery further behind. How can leaders put rural regions on track to thrive?
Young business professional leaning in a doorway.
Building Black-owned brands to accelerate prosperity
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Black-owned businesses are crucial to America’s long-term prosperity, but they face long-time challenges. How can McKinsey’s Next 1B accelerator help create a more inclusive environment for Black entrepreneurs?
Businesswoman shaking hands with client before meeting
A CFO’s perspective on sustainable, inclusive growth
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In the current challenging environment, how can CFOs and other business leaders continue to deliver sustainable, inclusive growth?
Aerial of Newark, New Jersey
Addressing unequal opportunity in an American city
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Spatial inequality limits opportunities for millions of Americans. How can companies leverage their unique positions to promote sustainable, inclusive growth in the communities they call home?
Mother and daughter dealing with home finances
Financial inclusion and sustainable, inclusive growth in action
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Access to financial services remains a significant barrier to prosperity for millions of Americans. How can businesses promote financial inclusion and support sustainable, inclusive growth more broadly?
Industrial scene under a thunderstorm
Solving the net-zero equation in the United States
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Achieving net-zero carbon emissions will require investment and action on a massive scale. How can the United States meet the challenge of this moment?
Young Asian working mother crossing street and commuting in busy downtown city with little daughter
Meeting the challenge of moms’ ‘double double shift’ at home and work
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As the United States emerges from the pandemic, how can businesses build a more inclusive working environment to improve outcomes for women in the workforce?
Paper tag on a string
Rise of the inclusive, sustainable consumers
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How can businesses attract and retain customers when sustainability and inclusion are no longer “nice to have” but critical to business? And how can they do so successfully in this challenging economic environment?

New from McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey

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Article

For many Americans, economic opportunity seems increasingly out of reach

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Low unemployment doesn’t seem to dispel the gloom about inflation, the McKinsey American Opportunity Survey shows.
Learn more about the American Opportunity Survey

A sustainable inclusive and growing future for the United States

While the challenges the United States faces are significant, it can build on core strengths to grow, broaden, and sustain prosperity.
Read the article

Future of Sustainability

Case Study
An AI power play: Fueling the next wave of innovation in the energy sector
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How Vistra Corp. is partnering with McKinsey to improve efficiency and reduce emissions by using AI.
Building the electric-vehicle charging infrastructure America needs
Article
Building the electric-vehicle charging infrastructure America needs
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The United States needs many more EV-charging stations—and federal funds for them are coming. Seven principles could help...
White t-shirt with recycling symbol
Report
Closing the loop: Increasing fashion circularity in California
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The fashion value chain is predominantly linear and global. It has put the apparel industry on an unsustainable path.
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Article
Innovating to net zero: An executive’s guide to climate technology
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Advanced technologies are critical to stopping climate change—and the drive to develop and scale them is accelerating....
Solving the net-zero equation: Nine requirements for a more orderly transition
Article
Solving the net-zero equation: Nine requirements for a more orderly transition
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Net-zero commitments are rising, but the net-zero equation is not yet solved. This can only change if nine interdependent requirements...
Organizing for sustainability success: Where, and how, leaders can start
Article
Organizing for sustainability success: Where, and how, leaders can start
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As sustainability becomes more of a strategic and operational imperative, executives must lead the way to set up a sustainability...
How cities can adapt to climate change
Report
How cities can adapt to climate change
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Research identifies 15 proven ways that urban areas around the world can adapt to climate risk.
COVID-19 crisis pushes US students into an uncertain job market
Article
COVID-19 crisis pushes US students into an uncertain job market
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More than half-a-million US students are dropping out of college, leaving their economic futures in the balance.
Net zero or bust: Beating the abatement cost curve for growth
Article
Net zero or bust: Beating the abatement cost curve for growth
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Companies can both decarbonize and boost long-term growth. But it means pushing beyond abatement curves’ focus on cost...
The future of work after COVID-19
Report - MGI Research
The future of work after COVID-19
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The pandemic accelerated existing trends in remote work, e-commerce, and automation, with up to 25 percent more workers than...
America 2021: Renewing the nation’s commitment to climate action
Article
America 2021: Renewing the nation’s commitment to climate action
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To America’s leaders, innovators, and changemakers: here’s how you can help build a low-carbon economy that is resilient,...

Future of inclusion

mother holding grocery basket, daughter placing items in - stock photo
Report

The economic state of Latinos in the US: Determined to thrive

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US Latinos are a driving force of the US economy and account for the fastest-growing portion of US GDP.
Small toy bunny
Article
The childcare conundrum: How can companies ease working parents’ return to the office?
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The status quo work culture no longer works for most families—particularly those with very young children. But companies’...
A businesswoman meets with a doctor prior to sitting at a boardroom meeting in a hospital
Article
Women in the healthcare industry: An update
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Although healthcare continues to outpace other industries in the representation, hiring, and advancement of women, the latest...
Reshma Saujani headshot
Interview
Author Talks: Where are the women who are missing from the workforce?
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Amid the pandemic, working mothers have had to downshift their careers to care for their children full time. Reshma Saujani says...
Investments in Black consumers in pursuit of equity
Report - McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility
Black consumers: Where to invest for equity (a preview)
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Effectively pursuing broad racial-equity goals can help consumer-facing companies better serve Black consumers.
An icon for inclusivity across sexual orientations overlaid on city buildings
Article - McKinsey Quarterly
Being transgender at work
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Although corporate America has stepped up its public support of LGBTQ+ rights, it still has a long road ahead to foster a truly...
Trucker and woman
Article
Toward an equitable economic recovery in Minneapolis–St. Paul
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By closing long-standing racial equity gaps and preparing people of color for the future of work, the region can put itself on...
Smiling woman holding a happy child.
Article
Twelve insights for an inclusive economic recovery for New York City
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A robust recovery for the United States’ largest city is a recovery for all New Yorkers, especially its most vulnerable....
A first step to racial equality? “Fundamentally improve job quality.”
Blog Post
A first step to racial equality? “Fundamentally improve job quality.”
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JP Julien explains why new research on racial inequality is personal and talks about the innovative programs that are showing...
Black livelihoods and economic recovery in the US
Webcast
Black livelihoods and economic recovery in the US
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When businesses focus on dismantling barriers to racial equity, the result could be a more dynamic and resilient economy for...
The economic state of Black America: What is and what could be
Report - MGI Research
The economic state of Black America: What is and what could be
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Closing racial gaps across the economy is not only about righting historic wrongs. It is also about choosing a more dynamic future...
Black-owned businesses face an unequal path to recovery
Article
Black-owned businesses face an unequal path to recovery
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As the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates systemic inequities, entrepreneurs also face the fallout of America’s racial reckoning....

What barriers prevent economic inclusion?

Hear from Farida, a former HR executive who exited the workforce when her children switched to remote learning at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic

Future of Growth

Austin cityscape
Report

Uniquely Austin: Stewarding growth in America’s boomtown

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Austin is a booming region and an ascending economic powerhouse, but there are growing pains. Together, the region’s leaders can build a sustainable and inclusive future.
New York City skyline - stock photo
Interactive
New York Metro Area Workforce: Challenges and opportunities for growth
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Historically a talent magnet, the New York City region faces a shrinking workforce and a growing mismatch between jobs and skillsets....
New Jersey skyline
Report
The Garden State in bloom: Cultivating New Jersey’s workforce of tomorrow
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Total employment in New Jersey has rebounded to prepandemic levels but the state faces a talent shortage in selected occupations....
Virtual meeting between Katy George and Jonathan Capehart
Blog Post
Washington Post Live with Katy George: “The future of America depends on sustainable and inclusive growth”
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Our chief people officer and Operations practice leader spoke with the Post’s Jonathan Capehart about manufacturing momentum,...
Two engineers are discussing parts
Commentary
The labor market is upside down. Here’s what CEOs can do about it
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Business leaders can play a key role in easing labor market pressure and helping to make sustainable and inclusive growth a reality....
Factory employee taking notes
Commentary
Want to drive inclusive economic growth? Start with manufacturing
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The decline of the US manufacturing industry has contributed to rising inequality and hurt the country’s global competitiveness—a...
Three small plants getting watered
Survey
2021 global report: The state of new-business building
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Business leaders predict that by 2026, half of their revenues will come from products, services, or businesses that haven’t yet...
Construction site
Article
The US Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Breaking it down
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What’s in it? What does it aim to do?
Lighthouses unlock sustainability through 4IR technologies
Article
Lighthouses unlock sustainability through 4IR technologies
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At manufacturing lighthouses, the Fourth Industrial Revolution makes sustainability easier. Environmental sustainability and...
Webcast
Lighthouses Live: Powering productivity and environmental sustainability - North America-Europe
Replay this event from the World Economic Forum studios in Geneva and New York. Event highlights include panel discussions with...
Building a more competitive US manufacturing sector
Discussion Paper - MGI Research
Building a more competitive US manufacturing sector
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A fresh sense of urgency and new opportunities could give the sector momentum.
Will productivity and growth return after the COVID-19 crisis?
Report - MGI Research
Will productivity and growth return after the COVID-19 crisis?
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Bold innovation by some firms under pressure of the pandemic could deliver a productivity dividend, but that depends on corporate...

Building a more competitive US manufacturing sector

There is both public- and private-sector resolve to shore up a sector that has long been an important pillar of the economy. This momentum, combined with technology trends and market opportunities, offers a rare chance to change the existing trajectory—and give the United States a powerful driver for economic recovery, inclusive growth, resilience, and the capabilities of the future.

An effective transformation of the US manufacturing sector could boost GDP by $275 billion to $460 billion while adding up to 1.5 million jobs.
Read more

More from McKinsey

Wind turbines
Global theme

Sustainable, Inclusive Growth

Explore insights on the new era of growth—one that doesn’t treat growth and positive impact as opposing forces.
Collection

Reinvesting in America

Approximately $3 trillion in additional federal spending could enter the US economy. Will these investments be transformative? How can governments and companies harness the opportunity to advance sustainable and inclusive growth?
Reinvesting in America