Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

August jobs report: overall progress, with some new highs and some givebacks

August jobs report: overall progress, with some new highs and some givebacks – by New Deal democrat HEADLINES: +201,000 jobs added U3 unemployment rate unchanged at 3.9% U6 underemployment rate declined -0.1% from 7.5% to 7.4% (NEW EXPANSION LOW) Here are the headlines on wages and the broader measures of underemployment: Wages and participation rates Not […]

Is the Ecological Salvation of the Human Species at Hand?

The July-August issue of New Left Review published an essay by Robert Pollin titled “De-growth vs. Green New Deal” in which he outlines his objections to what Peter Dorman affectionately refers to as “a suicide cult masquerading as a political position.” I have written a response to Pollin’s article, that I have submitted to NLR, […]

China Starts Yuan/RMB Futures Market

China Starts Yuan/RMB Futures Market Juan Cole reports that Reuters reports that China is establishing a commodities futures market in Shanghai that will operate in yuan/rmb.  According to the report the commodity that is most expected to be traded is crude petroleum.  This will put this exchange in competition with the West Texas intermediate crude […]

Brad DeLong hops aboard the “Employers have a Taboo against raising Wages” bandwagon

Brad DeLong hops aboard the “Employers have a Taboo against raising Wages” bandwagon For Labor Day Prof. Brad DeLong posted a talk on the implications (or not) of the US being near “full employment.” The arguments on a few of the pages will be familiar to readers of this blog: