The Daily Economy
Late Autumn at AIER’s Campus in the Berkshires
I snapped these pictures of our scenic campus in the Berkshires just before our offices opened this morning.
How Will Small Business Fare Under Trump?
President-Elect Donald Trump rarely made specific mention of small businesses during the campaign. But many of the policies he promised to enact have the potential to effect small business, for better or for worse. Presidents are notorious for breaking campaign promises, but especially in the case of a winner with no track record in government,…
What Did Quantitative Easing Accomplish?
The Federal Reserve’s post-financial-crisis strategy of adding to the money supply hasn’t been successful at improving the economy, so it is curious that it continues to pursue that approach, an AIER trustee said at a recent conference in Washington.
As 2016 Ends, Big Economic News Awaits
The Thanksgiving holiday is over and the final month of 2016 is approaching. The coming week brings a crowded list of important economic events, and beyond it, some big economic news to watch in December.
What Sales and Inventories Tell Us About the Economy
In any given month, if sales outpace inventories, then firms are seeing strong demand. If inventories rise by more than sales, then demand is likely weak. The fact that sales outpaced inventories in October helped push our index of leading indicators further into positive territory. Our Leaders Index stands at 58, up from 54 in September,…
Existing Home Sales Keep Rising
We received more data this morning that show the housing market with continued upward momentum.
The Shifting Link Between Economic Growth and Jobs
A long-accepted law of economics is undergoing changes, as the unemployment rate has become more responsive to changes in economic output, according to a new research brief released by the American Institute for Economic Research.
Economic Music Videos, and Other Teaching Tools
Rockonomix is an innovative project which encourages students to make their own videos that combine music with basic economic principles. The founder of Rockonomix joined us by satellite earlier this month at a professional development day for the Berkshire County schools.
Energy and Services Give Inflation a Push
There were two major reasons for the notable increase in consumer prices in October, says Bob Hughes, senior research fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research. The Consumer Price Index for October was released this morning, showing prices were up 0.4 percent over September.
Trump, and the Free-Trade Tradeoff
The biggest news story in the world this past week has been the election of Donald Trump, and the biggest reason for his election was the vote of working class white voters in the Rust Belt states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, states that had been projected to vote for Hillary Clinton. One current explanation…
Outlook for the Economy: Data vs. Emotion
For all the speculation about how the election of Donald Trump will affect the economy, there is precious little data thus far upon which to make those predictions, says Bob Hughes, senior research fellow at the American Institute for Economic Research.
How Much Do Gas Prices Matter When Buying a Car?
Saving money on gas doesn’t tend to be what motivates people to buy any particular car.
