economy – Page 2 – American Delusions

Women Continue To Face A Big Pay Gap – and on into the future

December 18, 2018 Comments Off

In 2017, female full-time, year-round workers made only 80.5 cents for every dollar earned by men, Women are almost half of the workforce. They are the sole or co-breadwinner in half of American families with children. They receive more college and graduate degrees than men. Yet, on average, women continue --->> read more -->>

The Monopolization of America

November 26, 2018 Comments Off

Adam Smith discussed the harms caused by monopolies in the frequently, ritualistically cited book, The Wealth of Nations. The progressive politics of the end of the 19th century and into the beginning of the 20th was marked by a deep reaction to the monopolistic practices of large companies then. This --->> read more -->>

John Oliver and Monopoly Capitalism

February 21, 2018 Comments Off

Corporate concentration of income and wealth are core features of capitalism. From its earliest chroniclers and cheerleaders like Adam Smith, the drive for corporations to get ever larger and in the doing drive their competitors out of the market was noted and warned against. In the US, the late 19th --->> read more -->>

The New Digital Monopoly Capitalism

February 20, 2018 Comments Off

The New Digital Monopoly Capitalism Capitalism has always been marked by relentless growth, the destruction of smaller businesses by larger, and ultimately the creation of oligopoly and monopoly corporations. From the earliest descriptions of capitalism, even by proponents like Adam Smith, this tendency towards concentration was warned against. In the --->> read more -->>

Structure of Jobs Is Changing Rapidly – Political System Failing to Address Issue

January 23, 2018 Comments Off

Structure of Jobs Is Changing Rapidly – Political System Failing to Address Issue A recent NPR story, “Freelanced: The Rise Of The Contract Workforce” based on the NPR/Marist poll January 2018: Picture of Work shows that 1 in 5 jobs are now contract jobs. Here are the key findings reported: --->> read more -->>

economy

Recently Noted – the future of bitcoin and blockchain technologies – UPDATED

January 17, 2018 Comments Off

The Future of Bitcoin and Blockchain Technologies UPDATE 1/22/2018 While watching a football game over the weekend this ad from IBM was shown several times. At the very end you hear the word “blockchain”. IBM is in the blockchain business? A visit to the IBM website reveals that they are --->> read more -->>

US manufacturing out vs employment 1947 - 2011

A Note on Jobs & Unemployment – revised

December 31, 2017 Comments Off

A Note on Jobs & Unemployment Original publication date – 12/27/2016; Revised – 12/31/2017 As the presidential campaign of 2016 fades away and the Trump Era begins, we find a national scene without any real discussion of the facts of jobs and unemployment and what the future might bring. Trump --->> read more -->>

Recently Noted – A journey through a land of extreme poverty: welcome to America by Ed Pilkington

December 27, 2017 Comments Off

Recently Noted – A journey through a land of extreme poverty: welcome to America by Ed Pilkington In the Time of Republican Transfers of Income and Wealth to the Rich and Corporations A friend pointed me to this article in 12/15/2017 The Guardian, “A journey through a land of extreme --->> read more -->>

Economic Downturn and Legacy of Bush Policies Continue to Drive Large Deficits

Deficits, Deficits – the rhetoric of the forthcoming attacks on the poor

December 20, 2017 Comments Off

Deficits, Deficits – the rhetoric of the forthcoming attacks on the poor Republicans Create Bigger Deficits Then Blame The Entitled Poor The Republicans have given huge tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations thereby ballooning the deficit by more than $1.5 trillion. Now, they will start making big noises about --->> read more -->>

Recently Noted: World Inequality Report 2018 – findings and policies

December 14, 2017 Comments Off

Inequality in the World – findings Inequality in wealth and income is not a new phenomenon. Nevertheless, recent decades in the US, and as this new report World Inequality Report 2018 shows, the world has seen a real explosion in inequality. As shown in the charts below the US is --->> read more -->>

Recently Noted – “Millions of professional drivers will be replaced…..” – NBC News

November 6, 2017 Comments Off

The shape of jobs in the US and around the world it’s changing rapidly. On 11/5/2017 NBC News reported: Self-driving trucks One year ago this week a truck rolled into history as it traveled from a Colorado brewing plant to a warehouse 120 miles away carrying 45,000 cans of Budweiser beer. --->> read more -->>

US Corporate Taxes Higher Than Rest of World?

November 5, 2017 Comments Off

The Republicans have rolled out their tax “reform”. As predicted earlier in “Trickle-Down Returns to Enrich the Rich – updated” there are ample claims that their plan will boost economic performance for the vast majority of Americans. Additionally we are hearing more about how American corporate tax rates are the --->> read more -->>

Jobs, Automation, Walmart, and Globalization – low skill, low pay jobs disappearing

October 30, 2017 Comments Off

Trump and Republicans (and some Democrats) puff up the return of well-paid manufacturing jobs and toss about ideas that thirty years of globalization can be reversed by renegotiating NAFTA and other trade agreements. All the while one of the most important factors in the disappearance of jobs, automation and robots --->> read more -->>

Recently Noted about the US Economy – Dynamism in Retreat

October 12, 2017 Comments Off

“Dynamism in Retreat: Consequences for Regions, Markets, and Worker”, a February 2017 report from the Economic Innovation Group provides interesting evidence that the US economy has been loosing its innovative edge and that the slowdown in enterprise creation is exacerbating regional differences in the US economy. “From 2010 to 2014, five --->> read more -->>