Tag Archives: consumer spending

Q4 Economic Growth Continues

Popular Economics Weekly Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024 (October, November, and December), according to the advance estimate released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the … Continue reading

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Why Inflation Still a Problem?

Financial FAQs The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, Personal Consumption Expenditures Index (PCE) isn’t declining because consumers continue to spend more than they earn. Why? BEA.gov Such spending gave a boost to retail sales and so made holiday shoppers happier. But … Continue reading

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Retail Sales Boost Q4 Growth

Financial FAQs “Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for December 2024, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $729.2 billion, an increase of 0.4 percent (±0.5 percent)* from the … Continue reading

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Americans Still Fully Employed!

Popular Economics Weekly Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 256,000 in December, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment trended up in health care, government, and social assistance. Retail … Continue reading

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Bidenomics Works–Part II

Financial FAQs A large fraction of voters do suffer from economic illiteracy. Indeed, it is fair to say that an ample majority do not understand the basics of how markets work. They are especially confused about labor and international markets. … Continue reading

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Bidenomics Cause of Recovery

Financial FAQs “Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 3.1 percent in the third quarter of 2024, according to the “third” estimate. In the second quarter, real GDP increased 3.0 percent. The increase in the third … Continue reading

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Higher Economic Growth Ahead?

Popular Economics Weekly The GDPNow model estimate for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the fourth quarter of 2024 is 3.3 percent on December 9, unchanged from December 5 after rounding. After recent releases from the US Census Bureau and … Continue reading

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How Much Do We Care?

ANSWERING KENNEDY’S CALL “Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the proposed secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, would undo all of this.  On his watch, were his ideas implemented, millions of us would die.  Knowing that our lives will … Continue reading

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Holiday Sales Booming

Popular Economics Weekly FREDretailsales The Commerce Department reported Retail trade sales were up 0.4 percent (±0.5 percent)* from September 2024, and up 2.6 percent (±0.5 percent) from last year. Nonstore retailers were up 7.0 percent (±1.4 percent) from last year, … Continue reading

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Inflation Is Not the Problem

Financial FAQs Inflation is close to its long-term 2 percent range, so the Federal Reserve has accomplished its goal of stabilizing prices. Yet the election results show that rising prices since the COVID-19 pandemic most panicked voters; even more than … Continue reading

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