Category Archives: Macro Economics
Consumer Debt Falls to Pre-Recession Level
Financial FAQs The total amount of debt held by Americans fell again in the first three months of 2013 and stood at the lowest level since the middle of 2006, the New York Federal Reserve said Tuesday. The level of … Continue reading
Payrolls Rising with Lower Labor Productivity
Popular Economics Weekly Suddenly it looks like the U.S. economy isn’t stalling. Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 165,000 in April, and the unemployment rate fell slightly to 7.5 percent from 7.6 percent in March, reported the U.S. Bureau of … Continue reading
Austerinomics, the Anti-Growth Orthodoxy
Financial FAQs The Federal Reserve Open Market Committee has just said it in the press release from its latest committee meeting in an otherwise ‘moderately’ upbeat announcement: “Household spending and business fixed investment advanced, and the housing sector has strengthened … Continue reading
Deflation and Our Plunging Deficit
Popular Economics Weekly The federal budget deficit is shrinking rapidly, says Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jan Hatzius. And that is not such a good thing at the moment, since the private sector isn’t spending enough. It means this very weak … Continue reading
Signs of Jobs Surge in 2013
Popular Economics Weekly There are signs the jobs picture will be much improved in 2013, even thought the March unemployment report was disappointing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported in the just released Job Openings and Labor Turnover … Continue reading
David Stockman’s Crony Capitalism
Popular Economics Weekly Paul Krugman is being too gentle with David Stockman, whose recent New York Times ‘rant’ glorifies the gold standard and denigrates government for standing in the way of putting “free markets and genuine wealth creation back into … Continue reading
The Decline of the West
Popular Economics Weekly Berkeley Prof Brad Delong has posted a very sobering essay on his website. Because the deficit hawks and austerity advocates now hold sway in both Europe and North America, we could be in for a very prolonged … Continue reading
What Inflation?
Financial FAQs We have seen this before during past budget battles. How much spending is necessary to create future economic growth, and jobs? A corollary is whether the Federal Reserve’s current easy credit policy will create runaway future inflation with … Continue reading
Higher Retail Sales Point to Consumer Health
Popular Economics Weekly Consumers are buying more, a reflection of improving incomes and the jobs market. The U.S. Census Bureau announced Wednesday that advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for February, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday … Continue reading
Ryan’s 19th Century Budget Plan
Financial FAQs Republican Paul Ryan’s 2011 budget plan is being trotted out by House Republicans once again. In spite of the sequester cuts and a declining budget deficit, Ryan wants to create even more economic austerity. Representative Ryan and House … Continue reading
