Pertinent Category: Daily Economy

Brexit’s Stock Market Lesson

– July 1, 2016

The unexpected vote by United Kingdom citizens to leave the European Union left forecasters scratching their heads and investors running for cover.

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Did the Housing Bust Hurt College Enrollment?

– June 30, 2016

The two biggest investments of many Americans’ lives are buying a home and sending their kids to college. For middle-class homeowners with kids approaching college, housing wealth is often their primary or only financial asset, and it not surprising that many of them look to their home values to help finance their children’s education.

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A Modest Boost of Consumer Confidence

– June 29, 2016

As we continue to sort out a tangle of conflicting economic signals, we received some heartening news on consumer confidence yesterday. The data from The Conference Board was compiled before Britain’s vote to leave the European Union last week, so it’s hard to know whether the vote will change things in the next reading.

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New GDP Data Reveal Slightly Faster Growth

– June 28, 2016

This morning’s release from the Bureau of Economic Analysis reveals that U.S. economic growth in the first quarter of 2016 was a bit faster than we previously thought.

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Teach-the-Teachers Initiative Goes on the Road

– June 27, 2016

Last week The Economist published the cover page story and an issue brief showcasing new (and old) evidence that the craft of teaching can be perfected through professional development opportunities for teachers. Here at the American Institute for Economic Research, we are doing just that – teaching the teachers how to incorporate economic concepts into their subjects, to make the material relevant, intriguing, and interesting to students.

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After the Brexit Vote: Take a Deep Breath

– June 24, 2016

The results of the referendum in the United Kingdom to leave the European Union have come as a shock to many, especially investors. While we have no greater insight into what the future holds, there are some things that are known.

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The Economy, Summed Up in One Chart

– June 23, 2016

We are coming up on the seventh anniversary of the end of the Great Recession, and for about that long, Americans have been looking for a better-defined storyline for the U.S. economy.

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One Chart’s Foreboding Message About the Economy

– June 22, 2016

The Labor Market Conditions Index has fallen into negative territory, and continued to fall since January this year. This indicates that the labor market may be worse as a whole than the individual measures show. The disappointing May jobs report may be not an outlier, but may instead be starting to capture a worsening labor market. 

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“Ban the Box” in Hiring: Unintended Consequences

– June 21, 2016

Many U.S. jurisdictions are enacting “ban the box” laws prohibiting employers from asking about criminal histories on job applications. One common goal of these laws is to keep ex-offenders from being automatically screened out before even having the chance to interview. But some recent research found that in New Jersey and New York City, these efforts to “ban the box” may have had unintended consequences.

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AIER Summer Fellowship Starts

– June 20, 2016

Today marks the beginning of the seventieth Summer Fellowship Program at the American Institute for Economic Research.

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Small Business Judo: Using Size to Your Advantage

– June 17, 2016

The common narrative about small business usually goes in one of two directions. First, many predict doom for “mom and pop” firms in America, arguing small businesses must be protected from giants like Walmart, who can charge lower prices. The second narrative focuses on the benefits these businesses bring to our economy and communities, stressing the need for consumers to “support” small and local business

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After a Rough Patch, Some Smoother Sailing

– June 16, 2016

We’ve seen data this week that shows positive signs for the consumer, which is a vital barometer of the economy’s health. That outweighed some mixed data from the manufacturing sector.

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