Meghan Ostertag
Research Assistant
Meghan Ostertag is a research assistant for economic policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. She holds a bachelor's degree in economics from American University.
Research Areas
Recent Publications
Fact of the Week: US Small Businesses Are 47 Percent as Productive as Big Businesses
In the United States, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises are just 47 percent as productive as large firms, compared to 60 percent in other advanced economies.
Increasing Productivity Is Key to Generating Federal Revenue
Increasing labor productivity through the development and adoption of new technologies will drive economic growth and should not be ignored as a viable way to raise federal revenue and decrease the budget deficit.
Fact of the Week: Data Centers Are Projected To Consume Up To 9 Percent of US Electricity Generation by 2030
An estimate from the Electric Power Research Institute approximates that the demand of electricity by data centers will increase from 4 percent to 9 percent of total electricity in the United States by 2030.
Fact of the Week: Over 13 Percent of Firms That Use Artificial Intelligence Have Expanded Their Workforce
Data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics shows that 13.7 percent of firms who use artificial intelligence experienced an increase in total employment.
Why Is the EU So Reticent About Challenging Beijing?
The European Union needs to pay a short-term price for long-term gain by standing alongside the United States in taking tough action to hold China accountable for its IP theft, dumping, and over-subsidizing.
Fact of the Week: AI Rice Farming Technology in Nigeria Reduces Water Use by 30 Percent
A new irrigation technology incorporating AI sensors reduces water use by 30 percent and methane emissions by 47 percent compared to continuous irrigation methods.
Fact of the Week: Manufacturing Firms in EU-27 Countries Using Cloud Computing Are More Likely To Export
The use of cloud computing by firms has been proven to increase productivity and innovation and to lower costs.
Fact of the Week: Increase in Access to Broadband Internet in American Counties Results in a Decrease in Suicides
A recent working paper found that a 10 percent increase in broadband Internet access among county residents leads to 0.11 fewer suicide deaths per county, a 1.02 percent reduction in suicides overall.
Fact of the Week: The Price of Drugs Has Increased 40 Percent Less Than the Average US Product
Despite popular rhetoric around the supposedly exorbitant prices of prescription drugs, the price of pharmaceutical products has increased far slower than the rate of inflation.
Fact of the Week: Labor Shortages Increase Investment in Automation and Result in Productivity Gains for Some Firms
While a labor shortage may drive up the cost of labor in the short run, in the long run it results in increased labor productivity and reduced prices.
Fact of the Week: Global R&D Investment by Biopharmaceutical Companies Was $276 Billion in 2021
A recent article found that all previous reports of the biopharmaceutical industry have grossly underestimated total research and development expenditures.
The Census Bureau Confirms US Manufacturing Has Declined
The comparison of the Census Bureau’s manufacturing data from 2002 to 2022 reveals a stark and depressing reality: in just two decades, the number of manufacturing firms fell, jobs diminished, payroll failed to keep pace with national growth, and productivity stalled.
