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Economy Tag

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 06, 2011 12 Comments

In a just released report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate increased from 8.8% to 9.0%.The "unemployment rate" can be somewhat misleading, as I have pointed out in the past, because as more people drop out of the labor market (i.e. give...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on May 02, 2011 1 Comment

Back to reality.  Osama bin Laden is still dead, and the economy still stinks, Teen joblessness may hit record this summer: A record-low one in four U.S. teenagers will land a summer job in the coming months as a result of a still-poor job market...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on April 28, 2011 10 Comments

Maybe, just maybe slightly.  But it will not last.  Here's why:In the week ending April 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 429,000, an increase of 25,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 404,000. The 4-week moving average was 408,500, an...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on April 24, 2011 26 Comments

Back in November, Sarah Palin delivered a sharp criticism of Fed monetary policy, as reported by The Wall Street Journal:Sarah Palin, delving into a major policy issue a week after the mid-term elections, took aim Monday at the Federal Reserve and called on Fed chairman...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on April 05, 2011 11 Comments

That's the phrase that jumped out at me from Paul Ryan's op-ed in The Wall Street Journal setting forth the Republican proposal to reform the system of entitlements which is driving us off a debt cliff (emphasis mine):No one person or party is responsible for...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 13, 2011 16 Comments

The 400 wealthiest people control more wealth than that controlled by bottom economic half the population. Michael Moore said it, and PolitiFact checked it, so it must be true.So what?There is no limit to wealth in a free-market, capitalist society, unlike a socialist society where government...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 04, 2011 11 Comments

There is an economic measurement phenomenon developing which has the potential -- in a bass ackwards way -- to help Obama's re-election prospects.The jobs situation is so bad and so lacking in hope that more and more people simply are dropping out of the workforce,...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 16, 2011 5 Comments

So how are we supposed to have an "adult conversation" with a President and Demcoratic Party who view the fiscal mess as just another political game?Via Politico:Obama’s decision to avoid entitlements was instantly deemed as irresponsible. Progressive blogger Andrew Sullivan interpreted the message as “screw you,...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 08, 2011 11 Comments

The AP (via CBS News) has a headline sure to warm the hearts of the Obama communications team:  High Taxes? Actually, They're at a 60-Year Low:Actually, as a share of the nation's economy, Uncle Sam's take this year will be the lowest since 1950, when...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 08, 2011 2 Comments

Personal and national debt burdens are moving in opposite directions (charts via Bubble Meter, one of my favorite blogs).Household debt service payments as percentage of disposable personal income:Contrasted with federal budget deficit as percentage of GDP:--------------------------------------------Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTubeVisit the Legal Insurrection Shop...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on February 06, 2011 12 Comments

Thanks to @DDsModernLife for pointing out this comment by reader A. Dumas, in response to my post Houdini Economics:--------------------------------------------Related Posts:SOTU Speech In One SentenceExclusive - First Draft of Obama's SOTU Speech Jewish History In One Sentence Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube Visit the Legal Insurrection...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on January 23, 2011 11 Comments

First draft of Obama's upcoming State of the Union Address, as edited by the White House communications team:My Fellow Americans, I have a plan, but I can't tell you about it because you are worried about jobs.  If I really cared what you thought about...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on January 07, 2011 8 Comments

Needless to say, administration supporters will be touting that the unemployment rate released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics this morning dropped from 9.8% to 9.4%.  Politically, this is good news for Obama, at least in the short run.Dig just a bit deeper, and you...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on January 02, 2011 7 Comments

"Generational Theft" is a term frequently used to describe the Democrats purchase of current entitlements and payouts to politically connected groups using borrowed money.  The consequences of these type of actions can be seen in Europe, where the younger generation is left hopeless.I focused on Greece...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 28, 2010 4 Comments

Alfred Kahn has passed away.  As you travel during the holidays, shopping around for cheap airfares, you have Kahn to thank.  Kahn, a Professor at Cornell, was responsible for deregulating the airline industry.I realize all you kids think airfare competition always has been a fact...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 25, 2010 15 Comments

China is ascendant so our administration wants us to emulate China's infrastructure investments and constructions, by building high-speed and light rail projects few will use and which will further drain state budgets.It will not last.  China's ascendancy, that is.  I agree with this analysis by...

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 16, 2010 47 Comments

I traveled extensively throughout the Soviet Union during the early 1980s, both with groups and on my own approved itineraries.  I also lived in Moscow, and had a chance to slip out of the ring road with Soviet friends into the countryside, which was not permitted...

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