Once a slow-growing agricultural area, the Jonesboro MSA is changing so fast that some parts are hardly recognizable from what they were just two or three years ago. Employment is up 13 percent from before the recession. Housing prices were stable even when the rest of the country was seeing a crash. Manufacturing is growing.
With government deficits and debt at record highs, the long-term fiscal outlook for the U.S. requires serious attention, most agree. The fix is most likely going to have to start with fundamental reforms of entitlement programs.
When smoking bans were debated in the past, the economic costs were seldom considered. But that’s changing, as studies reveal the costs being paid by bars, restaurants and casinos, as well as by employees of these establishments.
The goal of the National Animal Identification System is to trace the origin of a diseased animal within 48 hours. But would an optional, voluntary system accomplish this goal without unduly hurting small farmers?
Although this deficit has been rising steadily since the early 1990s, a “hard landing” for the U.S. economy is unlikely. One reason is that only in the United States can so many foreigners invest so much money and get such good returns.
Although such prohibitions are becoming more common, generalizations can’t be made about their impact because they still are too new and too few. Scrutiny of the ban in Maryville, Mo., shows that the issues remain hazy.
An annual survey on the price of a hamburger in countries around the globe provides a surprisingly meaty lesson about relative currency valuations.
Tracking prices over time is easy when the object in question doesn't change much, say, an orange. But the process is difficult when there are frequent changes in the quality of the item, say, an Apple computer. Hedonics provides the solution.
Politicians, the public and the press seem to view the trade deficit as if it were a cancer on the republic. But the current U.S. trade deficit looks to be more good news than bad.
To avoid the erosion of purchasing power, people spend more time and effort protecting their assets.
