Apr 30 U.S. economic growth stalls in first quarter of 2014 By Simone Pathe The U.S. economy grew by a disappointing 0.1 percent in the first three months of 2014, the slowest pace of expansion since late 2012. Continue reading
Apr 29 From machines to manicures, what goes into the GDP these days? By Steve Landefeld Its critics call the GDP an outdated metric that's ill-suited to assessing America's economic health. But it's a constantly evolving measurement, says Steve Landefeld, head of the agency that calculates it, that now includes the value of long-running American TV… Continue reading
Apr 28 Watch Finding GDP alternatives to quantify 'unpriceable' prosperity By PBS News Hour Gross domestic product, the total dollar value of goods and services sold in the U.S., has become fundamental to American economic policy. But there are other essential assets, qualities and conditions that GDP can't measure, like the health of the… Continue watching
Apr 28 How to maximize Social Security benefits if Congress targets file-and-suspend strategy By Laurence Kotlikoff Addressing threats that President Obama's budget could eliminate a Social Security claiming strategy that high-income households often use to maximize benefits, Larry Kotlikoff tells one couple what their options are if the law changes. Continue reading
Apr 28 GDP rules the world, but should it? By Zachary Karabell Gross Domestic Product is the king of all statistics, across the world, says author Zachary Karabell. But what was a good metric for 1950s economies, he says, is ill suited to measuring economic health in 2014. Continue reading
Apr 27 Watch New reports suggest slow down in housing market recovery By PBS News Hour Recent reports suggest that the recovery in the nation’s housing market might be starting to slow down, with both existing and new home sales down in the last months. How will this affect the overall economic health in the country?… Continue watching
Apr 26 Watch Tech companies settle wages lawsuit for $325 million By PBS News Hour Major tech companies including Apple, Adobe, Google and Intel have settled a huge class action lawsuit alleging they colluded not to go after each others’ employees, effectively holding down salaries. Alison Stewart talks with Arik Hessedahl of Re/code about the… Continue watching
Apr 25 How nonprofit workers get squeezed when minimum wages increase By Paul Tipps, Jesse Inman Nonprofit workers like those at Seattle’s Downtown Emergency Service Center don’t want to be left out of the fight for a higher minimum wage but also realize that higher wages could come at the expense of some of their jobs… Continue reading
Apr 25 The missing piece of the minimum wage and inequality debate By Bill Hobson Nonprofit leader Bill Hobson is personally supportive of a $15 an hour minimum wage. But he knows his human services agency doesn't have the resources to pay their employees more without trimming staff and ultimately, cutting services Seattle's homeless depend… Continue reading
Apr 24 Why this 'gender-crossing' economist prefers 'motherly libertarianism' to government paternalism By Deirdre McCloskey Economist Deirdre McCloskey wants to be taxed to finance a minimum income, not a minimum wage. People couldn't persuasively beg with the former, she says, and the government would get out of the business of treating adults like children. Continue reading