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

Real wages and consumer spending have been crucial positives; here is the most updated look

 – New Deal democrat We are still suffering the aftereffects of the government shutdown, with no data today, but a helping of mainly stale government data tomorrow and Friday. Tomorrow we get up to date private data from the ISM for services, and from ADP for private employment, along with manufacturers’ orders for October. On Friday […]

The highest earners have amassed a growing share of total wages

Congress continues to trash Social Security without adding the “very” necessary requirement of greater inputs to support what was already there and now adding a new funding requirement. Democrats have passed on providing a solution to Social Security shortfall which appears to be increasing with new withdrawals. Not that one always has to have a […]

Wage Growth Is Declining Across Sectors, but Not at the Same Rate

This particular graph was pulled from an April 2024 Morning Star article. The source of it being the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It depicts wage growth before during and after the Pandemic. In particular I believe the government did quite well in providing for and protecting its citizens during the pandemic when many people could […]

“If things are good, then why do I still have nothing left over?”

Angry Bear: I have been bugging Daniel to write on occasion for Angry Bear. Daniel did write occasionally and his commentaries were good. I know it is a burden. Well, here is one of Daniel’s comments. A good one as usual . . . I believe the interest costs are part of the story as […]

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 […]

How is the working-middle class doing? Real average non-supervisory wages

Real average hourly wages and real aggregate payrolls for October  – by New Deal democrat With yesterday’s report on October consumer prices, we can take up two of my favorite measures of how the working/middle class is doing – real average non-supervisory wages, and real aggregate payrolls. Real average wages for non-supervisory workers declined -0.1% […]

Two Stories on Cause and Effect

Cause and effect leaves little room for how people want the world to work.  Here are two stories illustrating that. From Bloomberg: A Swiss maker of hamburger buns for McDonald’s Corp. said it’s struggling to run a Chicago bakery after it lost a third of its workers in a clampdown on 800 immigrants without sufficient […]

Immigration, Democrats, Republicans and the NY Times

Tom Cotton, the junior United States Senator from Arkansas had a piece in the NY Times: President-elect Trump now has a clear mandate not only to stop illegal immigration, but also to finally cut the generation-long influx of low-skilled immigrants that undermines American workers. Yet many powerful industries benefit from such immigration. They’re arguing that […]