unemployment

How My Doubts About Stimulus Were Eased – A Little

I decided to take the plunge and read “How the Great Recession Was Brought to an End” by economists Alan Binder (Gordon S. Rentschler Memorial Professor of Economics, Princeton University) and Mark Zandi (Chief Economist, Moody’s Analytics). Binder and Zandi conclude that the various stimulus programs and creative use of montary policy over the last … Read more

Stimulus Projects for the Double Dip Recession

As fears mount that the United States is dipping into a double-dip recession and headed down the road of deflationary Japan, Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke tip-toed, tap-danced, and downright side-stepped these landmines during his testimony to the Senate today. The market still did not like what it heard, sold off nearly the instant the Semiannual … Read more

Cintas anticipates a “a slow and lengthy” jobs recovery

While unemployment seems to have crested, the outlook for jobs growth is as dark as ever. Cintas (CTAS), a maker of work uniforms, reported disappointing earnings yesterday evening and provided a dour outlook on the jobs market: “We anticipate that when job recovery does occur, it will be a slow and lengthy process. In addition, … Read more

Georgia One of Many States Where Unemployment Woes Strain Resources

U.S. unemployment rates may have finally peaked last month, but the economic woes for many Americans are likely to continue for some time. For example, we learned this week that nearly 1 out of every 8 Americans uses food stamps. Yesterday, the Georgia Department of Labor reminded us of the severity of the unemployment situation … Read more

As Unemployment Finally Appears to Crest, Monetary Policy Reaches A Critical Juncture

Good (or not as bad as expected) economic news has typically garnered selling in the U.S. dollar and buying in the stock market. On Friday, the good news that November’s monthly change in U.S. non-farm payrolls came in essentially flat sent the S&P 500 soaring as high as 1.7%. However, the dollar index also soared, … Read more