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

Childcare Can Increase the Labor Force

This is not a bad idea. It is one issue long over due and needed if we are to attract more people into the Labor Force. It should be government sponsored to cut the costs of it. To Increase the Supply of Workers, Our Economy Needs Childcare, Roosevelt Institute, Mike Konczal Tuesday February 23, the […]

Weekly Indicators for June 19 – 23 at Seeking Alpha

New Deal democrats Weekly Indicators for June 19 – 23 2023  – by New Deal democrat My Weekly Indicators post is up at Seeking Alpha. When nothing dramatic is happening, high frequency information can be like watching paint dry. That’s where we are at the moment. The positives – like improving sentiment in the stock market – […]

Some Things Amazing, Economical, Finally Happening, Legal, and also Yawn About

Interesting national reports as detailed in Letters from an American. At least, I find them interestingto be redundant. Multiple topics passing in review. June 22, 2023, Letters from an American, Prof. Heather Cox Richardson Something Amazing for Drivers “To rebuild I-95 on time, we need 12 hours of dry weather to complete the paving and […]

‘There’s no way I can pay it’: Americans dread restart of student loan payments

About the time I was talking to USC’s Associate Director and Alan Collinge at the Student Loan Justice Facebook site, Michael “The Guardian” reporter was talking to students there about payback issues. Everyone is concerned about the startup of loan paybacks. It is a serious issue for most. ‘There’s no way I can pay it’: […]

Back to the basics: how do initial claims, total hours worked, aggregate real payrolls, and job growth relate?

Back to the basics: how do initial claims, total hours worked, aggregate real payrolls, and job growth relate?  – by New Deal democratFed One of the most important reasons why big Fed rate hikes and big downturns in things like housing starts and credit provision haven’t translated into a recession this year (so far!) is […]

Initial Job claims: yellow caution flag turns more orange

Initial claims: yellow caution flag turns more orange  – by New Deal democrat Initial claims, which were one of the most positive indicators of all last year, have turned darker in the last several months, and are edging closer to triggering their recession warning levels. Claims were unchanged at a revised 264,000 last week, the […]

Wage Passthrough to Pricing is Minimal and Abating

This commentary is along the lines of what I have been taught when I was consulting with Ingersoll Engineers in Rockford and which is now extinct. My background includes manufacturing planning at all levels domestically and internationally for US and foreign companies. Labor’s wages are a small part of the Cost of Manufacturing, etc. Spencer […]

Corporate Healthcare being Handed ‘Get Out of Jail Free Cards’

Much like Kip Sullivan in Minnesota/PNHP who Angry Bear has featured, Kay Tillow of Kentucky is a Single Payer activist. You will find Kip saying similar things about Medicare Advantage, etc. And we are all a little bit different attempting to reach the same goals . . . preventing the privatization of Medicare and achieving […]

Real wage growth leads spending; meaning spending seems likely to stall after an increase over the next few months

Real wage growth leads spending; meaning spending seems likely to stall after an increase over the next few months  – by New Deal democrat No big economic news today, so I wanted to pick up on a subject I began a week ago Monday; namely, taking a detailed look at personal spending, i.e., consumption. To […]