Payroll employment has fallen by 6.9 million net jobs, or 5 percent, since the recession began in December 2007. That sharp decline is much worse than the average employment loss during a recession.

In the current issue of AIER’s Research Reports, Philip Murray explains how inflation-protected Treasury bonds work. The Series I bond (or “I Bond”) provides an inflation-proof version of the old-fashioned U.S. government Savings Bond.

Professor Murray also shows how I Bonds compare to TIPS (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities). Each investment offers a way to protect the investor from price inflation. Beyond that point in common, the details  (and yields) differ between the two inflation-protected instruments.

Over the next 10 years, federal spending is projected to remain at historically high levels, revenues are projected to rise from their current post-World War II lows to near postwar highs, and ongoing federal deficits are projected to add $10 trillion to the federal debt. This according to the latest analysis from White House’s Office of Management and Budget.

As summer winds down, around eight million American households will turn to heating oil to stay warm this winter. The price to fill their first tank is much lower than it was last year.

Choosing the right college isn’t just about professors and classes. Conversations in coffee houses, performances in concert halls, and opportunities for corporate internships also contribute to education. That’s why AIER’s latest publication, the College Destinations Index: 2009-10 Edition assesses a location’s broader learning environment.

The index begins by subdividing more than 360 metropolitan statistical areas into four tiers based on population size. We then rank the top scoring destinations in each tier according to 12 measures that range from student concentration to entrepreneurial opportunities.