Democrats want to raise the federal minimum wage, a measure that would affect some states more than others
Economics
Even If Janet Yellen Is Wrong About the Economy, She Is Right About Fed Policy
Janet Yellen’s first testimony on Capitol Hill was a resounding success. She was poised, confident in her decisions, and clear about her intentions at the Federal Reserve. But it was not so much what she said as what was …
This One Chart Will Make You Feel Better About Not Paying Your Credit Card Bill This Month
If you look at your financial mailers instead of simply throwing them away, you may already know that federal interest rates are at ‘their lowest levels in years.’ But how many years exactly? A chart by @Macro_Tourist published …
Early Unemployment Data Lifts Hope for Job Growth
Fewer unemployment claims than expected
Currency Crises Abroad Are Benefiting the U.S.
Analysts are calling them “The Fragile Five,” a catchy sobriquet for five countries–Turkey, Brazil, India, South Africa and Indonesia–that have been experiencing serious turmoil in their economies and currencies in recent …
Americans Are Painfully Aware of How Broke They Are
Even if they’re just relatively broke
Why Economists Are Right to Hate on Bitcoin
Economist Paul Krugman is not one to shy away from a good fight, but he may have vexed his most passionate opponents yet last week with a blog post titled “Bitcoin is Evil.”
Krugman’s title is tounge-in-cheek. He doesn’t …
What Recovery? The Average Family Is Still Poorer Than it Was Seven Year Ago
Here’s a statistic that illustrates just how bad the recession was: Despite U.S. households gaining $21 trillion in household wealth since 2009, the average family is still poorer than it was in 2007. That’s right, according to …
The Global Economy Is About to Pop!
Unless economists are wrong—which, it turns out, they often are
Budget Deal Is a Tipping Point for the US Economic Recovery
Whisper it—we may be at a tipping point in the US economic recovery. The announcement that U.S. budget negotiators have reached a provisional two-year deal to avert another government shutdown (which had been set to happen, …
When Taking On More Debt Is a (Very) Good Thing
The 2008 financial crisis had many causes, but the underlying theme of the meltdown was that businesses and individuals took on too much debt. Since the bubble burst, the country has been dealing with the problem of casting off …
GDP Growth Soars to 3.6% in Third Quarter: Will it Last?
Always remember to read the fine print, especially when it comes to government statistics.
Though the Commerce Department announced Thursday that estimates for third-quarter GDP growth had been revised up to an eye-popping …