Category Archives: U.S. Economy

What’s not surprising about the Unemployment Rate

IN doing some research for my piece on the weaknesses masked by Maine’s unemployment rate (UER), I noticed two interesting things about the UER.  These two things should be kept in mind during the current campaign season. The state’s economy is certainly one of the central issues in the campaign season, and with that candidates […]

Nationally, job quality and wage growth continue to lag during recovery

AS noted yesterday, the BLS released the jobs report for September showing that the economy added 248,000 jobs while the unemployment rate (UER) dropped to a 6 year low of 5.9%. So that’s the good news–the economy continues to add jobs and is above pre-recession levels: Moreover, 2014 has shaped up to be (thus far) […]

On Ending Economic Bidding Wars Among the States

AS reported by the LA Times, a four state bidding war for Tesla’s battery plant was finally settled earlier this month, with Nevada ‘winning’ the bid.  In exchange for the electric car maker’s roughly 6,500 jobs, Nevada’s bid included: Tesla will get more than $1.25 billion in tax breaks and other incentives.  That includes up […]

According to the NYT, to boost incomes, the U.S. should be more like Russia, less like Germany

AS noted here yesterday, the statistics thrown around by those concerned that a workforce is lagging in education are sometimes misleading.  In the case of my post yesterday, newly appointed UMaine President Sue Hunter made some curious remarks: A part of it is when you look at educational attainment in New England … the rate […]

Degree Inflation and Amy Volk makes too much sense

FROM a recent BDN piece (my emphasis): UMaine President Sue Hunter, who was appointed in June, spoke recently with the Bangor Daily News about her goals, the challenges the university faces and the role the university should play in the state’s economic future. . . .  A part of it is when you look at educational attainment […]

Is the economy in worse shape than the Obama defenders suggest? Um, yes.

YESTERDAY on Twitter, economist Justin Wolfers, whose wife is on President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, tweeted out the following: Bottom line: Demographics are driving labor force participation rate down. It’s here to stay. Get used to it. #BPEA pic.twitter.com/bGrtfvNfyw — Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) September 12, 2014 That post was a follow up to a post […]