Archive
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November Business Conditions Monthly
AIER’s Business Cycle Conditions Leading Indicators Index increased to 79 in October from a reading of 75 in the prior month. The Roughly Coincident Indicators Index fell to 92 following seven consecutive months at 100 while the Lagging Indicators Index fell back to 50 from 58 in the prior month (see chart below). The rebound…
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We Don’t Need the Department of Commerce
Let business fend for itself, competitively serving consumers rather than lobbying for government privileges.
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Everyday Prices Excluding Energy Rise Just 0.1 Percent in October
AIER’s Everyday Price Index fell 0.7 percent in October following a 0.9 percent gain in September. Large swings in energy prices were the primary driver for the September spike and October retreat. The EPI measures price changes people see in everyday purchases such as groceries, restaurant meals, gasoline and utilities. As a comparison, the more…
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Free Markets Reduce Consumption Inequality
We’ve heard that “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” But in the internet age, free stuff abounds.
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The United States Again Fails to Make the Top 10 Freest Countries
The United States 11th among the 159 countries and territories surveyed.
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Repeal NAFTA and Replace It With Free Trade
The “FT” in NAFTA may stand for “free trade,” but that doesn’t mean it is.
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To Really Cut Taxes, We Must Cut Government Spending
Cutting taxes, which President Trump promises, without cutting spending would increase the budget deficit and therefore the national debt and interest payments.
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Harwood vs. Keynes
Inflation “robs millions of citizens who in their desire to be self-reliant have set aside funds for the education of their children or their own retirement, and it hits many of the poor and elderly especially hard.”
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AIER President Ed Stringham Talks Debt on Stossel
AIER President Edward Stringham described the willingness of the US Congress to take on ever more debt as “crazy” when he recently appeared on a ReasonTV clip fronted by John Stossel — akin to a credit-card balance beyond one’s capacity to pay.
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Everyday Prices Jump as Familiar Themes Reappear
AIER’s Everyday Price Index jumped 0.9 percent in September, ahead of the 0.5 percent gain in the Consumer Price Index. The EPI measures price changes people see in everyday purchases such as groceries, restaurant meals, gasoline, and utilities. The EPI is not seasonally adjusted, so we compare it with the unadjusted CPI. The EPI including…
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October Business Conditions Monthly
AIER’s Business Cycle Conditions Leading Indicators Index declined in September to a reading of 75 from 88 in the prior month. The Roughly Coincident Indicators Index remained at a perfect 100 for a seventh month while the Lagging Indicators Index rose to 58, the first increase since June 2016 (see chart below). The drop in…
