Tag Archives: US EConomics

More on Kroger push to merge Albertsons into its array of stores. This comes after Appollo Funds and Cerberus Capital Management have milked it for $billions. The $24.6 billion deal[1], largely benefiting Albertson’s private equity owner Cerberus Capital Management, is seen by many as a maneuver to maximize investor returns rather than to provide tangible benefits to consumers or workers. Appollo owns $1.75 billion in Albertson’s preferred stock....

– by New Deal democrat My “Weekly Indicators” post is up at Seeking Alpha. The imminent likelihood of a Fed rate cut has continued to drive rates down to new 12-month lows (which is good for things like mortgages in particular). Meanwhile consumer spending as measured weekly is also near 12 month highs, which is also very good. As usual, clicking over and reading will bring you up to the virtual moment as to all the categories of economic...

by Dean Baker CEPR The effort to bring back manufacturing jobs has been a major theme in the 2024 election. Both parties say they consider this a high priority for the next administration. However, there is a notable difference in that the Biden-Harris administration has actively supported an increase in unionization, while the Republicans have indicated, at best, neutrality if not outright hostility towards unions. This distinction is...

IN 2020 the US homicide rate increased by 29% the largest percent increase on record. There are different theories of the cause. Some are related to Covid 19 with isolation (not lockdowns there were not lockdowns in the USA) causing increased stress and domestic disputes. The George Floyd associated conflict between police and those they are sworn to protect and serve could have led police to quietly quit (there is evidence of this in the reduced...

Labor market remains strong. Even so, the Fed should cut rates in September (EPI) Two things are true right now for the U.S. economy:  The labor market is extraordinarily strong when judged by any historical benchmark.  The Federal Reserve is behind the curve in cutting interest rates and should start cutting rates at the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting next week. To aim for something like a federal funds rate that is at least two...

 – by New Deal democrat I’m a little late to this, since FRED took its time updating, but the annual report of median household income for the US was released on Tuesday for 2023.  This is an important statistic about the well-being of, well, the median American household, so one of my pet peeves is that it is only released annually, and with a 9-month delay at that. So, Tuesday’s release tells us about where an important metric was about 18...

I have thoughts on a typically interesting essay by Brad DeLong. It was sent to project syndicate and also my e-mail inbox. I think I should not quote it at length without paying. His claim is that, whether or not one likes industrial policy, we need it now. Given the 700-word limit, he doesn’t discuss Biden’s industrial policy and how it seems to be working. I will try to define industrial policy not as anything by laissez faire but specifically...

– by New Deal democrat If residual post-pandemic seasonality has been affecting jobless claims statistics, the real acid test is going to begin next week, as for the next 7+ months, any number higher than 220,000 is almost always going to be higher than one year ago. In the meantime, for this our last week of the seasonal downtrend, initial jobless claims rose 2,000 to 230,000. The four week moving average rose 750 to 230,750. Continuing...

Apparently, the larger WalMarts, Target, etc. know how to do so. The lower cost rivals(?) which should have greater appeal to its targeted customers are struggling. ~~~~~~~ Dollar General and Dollar Tree need a ‘new playbook‘ to compete . . . In the world of retail, Walmart, Target, and Costco continue to thrive with their blend of quality and convenience. Low-cost rivals Dollar Tree and Dollar General face declining consumer...

by Steve Roth Originally Posted at Wealth Economics (June 2023) Recent headline inflation prints are below the Fed’s target, and falling. That news is a powerful tool for controlling expectations, but the Fed’s not using it. 1.5%. That’s the latest headline inflation rate in the U.S. per the May CPI release, and also according to a three-month average of three different inflation indexes that use somewhat different data, baskets, and...