Category Archives: Economy

The Costs of an Extended Covid-19 Pandemic

Popular Economics Weekly COVID Tracking Project I have been asked many times about my thoughts on the direction of our fall and winter economies, but been hesitant to give specific answers because firstly, it depends on the November election. Republican … Continue reading

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Will We Repeat the Spanish Influenza Pandemic?

Answering the Kennedys’ Call Early in Bob Woodward’s just released best-seller, Rage, President Trump said he knew by February that COVID-19 could act much like the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918-19. It was estimated to have killed 675,000 Americans and … Continue reading

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Where are the Jobs?

Popular Economics Weekly Calculated Risk The number of job openings increased to 6.6 million on the last business day of July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week, a good sign. Labor’s JOLTS report will be an important … Continue reading

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Employment Picture Improving?

Popular Economics Weekly MarketWatch It wasn’t as much improvement as expected, and more layoffs are coming with the end of the CARES Act benefits that kept workers on payrolls, or temporarily furloughed. The Labor Department (BLS) reported the August unemployment … Continue reading

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What is This Election Really About?

Answering the Kennedys’ Call #eisenhower Now is the time to cure our record income and wealth inequality, since it’s not only adversely affecting the most vulnerable during this pandemic—including our mostly low-income essential health care and public safety workers—but overall … Continue reading

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Joblessness to Increase This Fall

Popular Economics Weekly FREDinitialclaims The initial claims for unemployment insurance curve has flattened, rather than continuing to decline as the US economy opens. Not a good sign for future job growth.  Why? The coronavirus infection rate hasn’t declined, in a … Continue reading

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Should The Fed Boost Inflation?

Financial FAQs FRED10yrInflation The Federal Reserve is so desperate to support growth in this pandemic that it wants to allow inflation to rise above its 2 percent target range. Why? Inflation and rising prices are usually a sign of economic … Continue reading

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What’s Next…?

Financial FAQs MarketWatch U.S. stocks finished mostly higher Tuesday, with the S&P 500 index notching its first record close since Feb. 19, and marking the quickest recovery from bear-market territory in its history, according to Dow Jones Market Data.  So … Continue reading

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Happy Consumers Are the Key…

Popular Economics Weekly FREDretailsales Are we heading for a fall in the Fall when the ordinary flu season begins? The chickens may be coming home to roost, as the saying goes, because the US economy opened to soon. Retail sales … Continue reading

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What Future Job Growth?

Financial FAQs Calculated Risk The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) put out by the Labor Department (BLS) probably only makes sense to economists, because it gives a picture of the job market in coming months, as well as … Continue reading

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