Category Archives: Economy

The Art of Negotiation

Financial FAQs This column comes from a chapter in my forthcoming book, Answering the Kennedys Call to Promote World Peace and Freedom, a history of public service and community building by my own and more recent generations. This chapter documents … Continue reading →

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Where are the Workers?

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

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

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?

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

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

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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Housing Supply Improving

The Mortgage Corner Our housing supply is finally improving. New-home sales ran at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 692,000, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. That was 4.5 percent above February’s total and beat the consensus forecast of a 645,000 … Continue reading →

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Retail Sales Rebound Sign of Higher Growth?

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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Part II—What’s Wrong With Capitalism?

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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