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

July JOLTS report: the broad deceleration in the game of reverse musical chairs (generally) continues

July JOLTS report: the broad deceleration in the game of reverse musical chairs (generally) continues I have been writing since early this year that, because of the pandemic, there have been several million fewer persons looking for work, leaving a huge number of unfilled job vacancies, particularly in the face of a roughly 10% higher […]

Inflation

In chemistry, and in physics, a positive feedback loop usually yields an explosion. In biology, it is a population explosion. In electronics, it might be an unpleasant screech. In economics, both housing bubbles and inflation are products of a positive feedback loop. In re Global Warming: The melting of permafrost due to Global Warming releases […]

Continued good news for consumers on gas prices

Continued good news for consumers on gas prices There’ll be lots of economic news starting tomorrow, but for today let’s pause and take a look at the energy situation. Here’s a look at oil prices in the past year up through yesterday from CNBC: And here’s a look over the same time period from Gas […]

irs.gov

The republicans are indignant as hell that the Inflation Reduction Act, née Climate and Healthcare Bill, would increase funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Since Reagan, republicans had been defunding it for them that brought them; them being the very rich who don’t like paying taxes. After the 2010 cuts, it had gotten to […]

Student Loans

America is the land of equal opportunity. Well, yeah, truth be, your odds are little bit better if your parents can afford to send you to a good university. Other that, it’s even stephen. What if those who weren’t born to means could borrow the money? That would almost be as good, no.? Before 1965, […]

Weekly Indicators for August 22 – 26 at Seeking Alpha

Weekly Indicators for August 22 – 26 at Seeking Alpha  My Weekly Indicators post is up at Seeking Alpha. In the past couple of weeks, the decline in gas prices has slowed considerably. Once they stabilize, the underlying economic fundamentals should reassert themselves. In the meantime, there are cross currents of interest rates and manufacturing orders, […]

Will the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Reduce Inflation?

Will the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Reduce Inflation?, Econospeak  Probably not, but it also will probably not increase it either. This is the judgment of the Congressional Budget Office and also the Penn Wharton Budget Model, as well as libertarian economist Tyler Cowen of George Mason, who is critical of much of its content.  It […]