News
Bloomberg | China Manufacturing Expands at Faster Pace, PMIs Show
China’s manufacturing expanded at a faster pace last month, indicating a recovery in the world’s second-largest economy is sustaining momentum.
CNBC | Prolonged Winter Puts Retail Sales in Deep Freeze
Abnormally cold weather curbs consumer demand for spring goods and apparel, but some companies, including drug chains and dollar stores, are benefiting from the spring's delay.
Bloomberg | State Economies Show Most Gains Since Before Recession
The economic health of 44 U.S. states improved in the fourth quarter, the most in any period since 2006, as almost all benefited from growing employment and personal income.
Market Watch | March ISM index drops to 51.3% from 54.2%
The pace of expansion in the U.S. manufacturing sector slowed sharply in March to the lowest level since December, according to the closely followed ISM index.
Econ Comments & Analysis
Washington Post | America’s trade muddle
Americans have a love-hate relationship with foreign trade. In the marketplace, we’re enthusiasts. During 2012, we scarfed up $2.3 trillion in imports: cars, computers, clothes, smartphones, shoes, toys, oil and much more. We are also eager exporters, though not as successful, peddling $1.6 trillion last year in jets, tractors, pharmaceuticals and corn, among other things.
Washington Times | Groundbreaking American energy revolution
According to the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), the Eagle Ford shale play pumped $61 billion into the South Texas economy in 2012 and supported 116,000 jobs.Severance taxes on oil and gas production in the Eagle Ford brought in $374 million to the state of Texas’ coffers.
Washington Post | The April Fool’s economy
The economy seems to have done an about-face over the past three months after the bad dream that was the fiscal cliff came to an end. Housing is rebounding, businesses are hiring and shoppers are, well, shopping. Even the normally reserved Federal Reserve acknowledges that the economy is experiencing “moderate growth.” But we’ve been to this rodeo twice already.
Blogs
WSJ | Vital Signs Chart: Americans Save More
Americans are saving more. The personal-saving rate — which reflects how much people have left after spending and taxes — hit 2.6% in February from 2.2% in January.
Heritage Foundation | Income Inequality and Life Expectancy
Recently The Washington Post published an article claiming that the “widening gap in life expectancy” among America’s seniors “reflects perhaps the starkest outcome of our nation’s growing income inequality.”
Library of Economics | Major Premium
Economists usually talk about the college premium, but the college premium heavily depends on your major. At the same time, though, stronger students typically choose harder - and more lucrative - majors.
