Economy | Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion - Part 29
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Economy Tag

The gross domestic product (GDP) in the last quarter of 2018 grew 2.6%, which exceeded expectations. This is the first time since President George W. Bush that we had four straight quarters with GDP growth 2% and up. Experts thought the GDP, "a broad measure of the goods and services produced across the U.S.," would land at 2.2%.

The economy added 304,000 jobs in January, the 100th month in a row with growth. Experts predicted only 107,000 jobs in January. Labor force participation (LFP) is the highest it's been since 2014 at 63.2%. Average hourly wages only grew by 0.1%, but overall it's up 3.2% from a year ago. The unemployment went up slightly from 3.9% to 4%.

Economists expected 198,000 in November, but the economy only added 155,000. While expectations fell short, there's some positivity within the report and stocks traded higher on Friday morning. Experts told The Wall Street Journal that fears of a recession may have been overblown:
Friday's jobs report shows that the market's volatility and lingering uncertainty over the U.S. and China's trade relationship hasn't stopped businesses from hiring workers, said Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist and managing director at MUFG, in an email.

Stephen Gutowski at The Washington Free Beacon reported that since siding with those who support gun control, business has gone down at Dick's Sporting Goods and the company may have to close Field & Stream:
Edward Stack, chairman and CEO of Dick's, said during the event that the sporting goods chain's recent 3.9 percent drop in same-store sales was the result of a mix of factors beyond their control as well as some he called "self-imposed." Specifically, he said, "the decisions we made on firearms" negatively affected their bottom line but the drop in sales was something they expected. They did not, however, regret their decision to change a number of their gun-sales policies and back new gun-control legislation.

Bloomberg has reported that more senior citizens have entered the fast-food market as those restaurant chains have actively aimed to recruit this age demographic. Yes, the job market is tight, but the senior citizens have what teenagers lack: social skills and punctuality.

Chinese President Xi Jingping announced at the large China International Import Expo (CIIE) that he will lower tariffs and increase imports as a way to "demonstrate goodwill amid mounting frictions with the United States and others." While this appears like a good thing, Xi has made these promises before.

The economy continues to grow as it added 201,000 jobs in the month of August and unemployment remained steady at 3.9%. Wages went up 2.9% from August in 2017. August 2018 is the 95th straight month that the economy has added jobs. Experts predicted 192,000 jobs and a 3.8% unemployment rate.

The Department of Labor's Job Corps program receives an annual budget of $1.7 billion dollars. You'd think a program that is a sacred cow to people on both sides of the aisle and with that budget pushes out success after success. Nope. This Great Society program birthed by JFK's brother-in-law R. Sargent Shriver has turned into a money pit, a waste of that taxpayer money, according to those close to the program who spoke to The New York Times:
“Job Corps doesn’t work,” said Teresa Sanders, a former teacher at the North Texas center who quit in frustration in 2015 after a rash of violent episodes inside the center, but who keeps in touch with dozens of former students through a Facebook page. “The adults are making money, the politicians are getting photo ops. But we are all failing the students.”

Overall the jobs reports during President Donald Trump have shown stellar economic growth with low unemployment and almost more jobs than job seekers. More jobs means more money for people, which means more money poured into the economy. More news came out today as the research group The Conference Board revealed that consumer confidence is the highest its been since October 2000.

In a marketing stunt that has garnered a lot of attention, Burger King rolled out "Chick Fries" to demonstrate the unfairness of the "Pink Tax."  The problem?  There is no "Pink Tax." The issue they are foregrounding is yet another of the seemingly endless stream of silly complaints the regressive left has taken up as a "the" most important socio-cultural inequity: the production and sale of products that are identical in every way other than that they are pink.  The pink items, those marketed to women, purportedly cost more "42%" of the time . . . because sexism.