Tag Archives: GDP growth

Austerity Must End With Q1 GDP Plunge

Popular Economics Weekly The final Q1 2014 GDP growth estimate of minus (-2.9) percent, down from the second (-1) percent drop, was a shock for several reasons. Firstly, it means our domestic economy is still sputtering, five years after the … Continue reading →

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Why Have a Higher Minimum Wage?

Popular Economics Weekly The International Monetary Fund just came out with a depressing prognosis for US economic growth—2 percent this year, and maybe 3 percent next year? Why? A too bad winter, slowdown in the housing market, and stagnant wages. … Continue reading →

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Why Low Interest Rates Are Here to Stay

Financial FAQs Some have called it a Putin bond rally. Or it might be new Fed Chairperson Yellen’s determination to keep interest rates as low as possible, until economic prosperity returns to Main Street. It might as well be because … Continue reading →

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The Ryan Budget Myth and Obamacare

Popular Economics Weekly Representative Paul Ryan has come up with his latest Republican budget proposal, and it changes nothing. It neither promotes economic growth, nor reduces the budget deficit, as with past Republican budget proposals. That’s because its real target … Continue reading →

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Weak Employment–American Austerity at Work

Popular Economics Weekly Is economic growth grinding to a halt, even as pundits predicted better growth in 2014? Nonfarm payrolls have advanced just 188,000 over the past 2 months, when this was the average montly increase in prior months. It … Continue reading →

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Post-WWII Lessons—How to Reduce Debt?

Financial FAQs There is a productive way to pay down the federal and consumer debt loads instead of the austerity policies currently in vogue both here and in Europe (i.e., that cut taxes and government spending). It’s means implementing policies … Continue reading →

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The Great Income Divergence—II

Financial FAQs Ben Bernanke is now defending his record as Fed Chairman. He shouldn’t have to, as without the Fed’s easy money policies—such as QE3—the economy would surely have plunged back into recession, as the European Union has done with … Continue reading →

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What Happens in 2014??

Popular Economics Weekly Next year could start with a bang. U.S. third quarter Gross Domestic Product expanded at 4.1 percent, revised up from 3.6 percent, with consumer spending a main driver of growth. This has to mean consumers are feeling … Continue reading →

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Paying Sustainable Economic Growth Forward

Popular Economics Weekly The Fed has said it wouldn’t begin to boost interest rates until sustainable economic growth was achieved. However, no one has actually defined what that means. Fed Chairman Bernanke defines it as when full employment is achieved, … Continue reading →

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November’s 203,000 Payroll Jobs Not Enough

Popular Economics Weekly The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today unemployment declined from 7.3 percent to 7.0 percent in November, and total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 203,000. But that shouldn’t be enough good news for the Federal Reserve … Continue reading →

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