Category Archives: Consumers

Where are the Workers?

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly The number of job openings rose to 7.5 million on the last business day of March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, hires and separations were little changed at 5.7 million and … Continue reading →

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Our Student Debt Problem

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs College students and former students have amassed some $1.5 trillion in student debts, most of it (90 percent) held by the federal government or guaranteed by same. And this is holding back a whole generation of young adults … Continue reading →

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A Huge Employment Report

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today that total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 263,000 in April, and the unemployment rate declined to 3.6 percent. It was the lowest unemployment rate in 49 years—since December … Continue reading →

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Are Consumers Happy, Will Continue to Spend?

Posted on April 29, 2019 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs I mentioned last week the big question remains, with March’s initial estimate of Q1 GDP growth, will consumers continue to maintain their share of consumption and continue to boost economic growth? Today’s release of February and March Personal … Continue reading →

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First Quarter GDP Growth Beats Estimates

Posted on April 26, 2019 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Surprise, surprise, first quarter GDP growth beat the estimates of economists and pundits, but it wasn’t for the usual reasons. Spending at the state and local level jumped 3.9 percent after a 1.3 percent drop in the … Continue reading →

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Laffernomics and Tomorrow’s GDP Estimate

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs The decline of so-called Laffernomics, an economic theory first proposed by conservative economist Arthur Laffer in 1974, posited in so many words that lower tax rates of the wealthiest, in particular, would increase overall tax revenues as well … Continue reading →

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Retail Sales Rebound Sign of Higher Growth?

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Popular Economics Weekly

Popular Economics Weekly Sales at U.S. retailers surged in March by the most in a year and a half, the latest in a string of reports suggesting economic growth is picking up after a soft spell of growth earlier in … Continue reading →

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First-Time Homebuyers Are Back

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Popular Economics Weekly

The Mortgage Corner MarketWatch’s Andrea Riquier says first-time homebuyers aren’t doing so bad, if we look at more than the NARealtor’s existing-home sales data. First-timers’ sales data is important because they usually choose so-called “entry-level” homes that are affordable to … Continue reading →

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Part II—What’s Wrong With Capitalism?

Posted on April 17, 2019 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Pete Buttigieg, Mayor of South Bend, Indiana and Presidential candidate, said to NBC’s Chuck Todd, “of course I’m a capitalist and America is a capitalist society, but it’s got to be democratic capitalism,” per the NYTimes’ Michael Tomasky. … Continue reading →

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What’s Wrong With Capitalism?

Posted on April 11, 2019 by Popular Economics Weekly

Financial FAQs Winston Churchill once said, “No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to … Continue reading →

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