We are headed into one of the largest transformations in our nation’s history. It is the energy transformation, designed to shift our major power sources and curtail further global warming. Specifically, the primary shift will be away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. The initial focus of this shift has been in transportation, where curtailing...
Ha habido buenas noticias económicas al finalizar 2023. Los precios de la gasolina han bajado casi 60 centavos por galón desde septiembre. Las comidas de Acción de Gracias fueron más asequibles debido a una caída del 20% en los precios del pavo en comparación con 2022. La tasa de inflación general continúa moderando y la...
There’s been some good economic news as we end 2023. Gas prices are down almost 60 cents per gallon since September. Thanksgiving meals were more affordable due to a 20% drop in turkey prices compared to 2022. The all-item inflation rate continues to moderate, and the Federal Reserve (the “Fed”) has not raised their key interest...
When I was growing up in the 1950s, I was a fan of the Superman TV show. The program opened with the announcer looking up at the sky and saying, “It’s a bird; it’s a plane; it’s Superman!” I’ve used a modified version in today’s column to add some humor to the serious question of what...
Clint Eastwood has long been one of my favorite actors. A movie that propelled him to stardom was “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” I think a title with a slight change, to “The Good, the Bad, and the Uncertain,” is a great description of today’s economy. The good There are plenty of “good”...
An important feature of the job market is it never stands still. As the economy changes, and the products and services people buy change, so too do jobs. Jobs that exist today may not be around tomorrow. At the same time, jobs that don’t exist today could be part of tomorrow’s economy. Developments in technology are a...
Cada vez que se avecinan problemas para la economía, mi agenda de presentaciones y entrevistas explota. Sucedió durante mis más de 40 años en la facultad de NCSU, y todavía sucede en mi jubilación, mientras sigo interactuando con grupos y los medios. Estoy viendo las mismas reacciones hoy con preocupaciones sobre la inflación y la...
Every time there is trouble looming for the economy, my schedule of presentations and interviews explode. It happened during my 40-plus years on the NCSU faculty, and it still happens in my retirement, as I continue to interact with groups and the media. I’m seeing the same reactions today with worries about inflation and recession. Certainly, I...
Decades from now, people who lived through the pandemic will remember it as a horrible period. Over a million people in our country died, with millions more sick but still surviving. Thousands of businesses closed forever, learning was lost in schools, and lives were disrupted in multiple ways. But could there be some positive impacts...
The traditional holiday question to children, “Have you been naughty or nice?” is a perfect lead-in to the economic outlook in 2023. As 2022 ends and 2023 begins, we face two economic challenges — inflation and recession. The big questions are, will inflation return to normal in 2023, and if so, will it take a...
La tradicional pregunta navideña a los niños: “¿Has sido malo o bueno?” es una introducción perfecta a la perspectiva económica en 2023. A medida que finaliza 2022 y comienza 2023, enfrentamos dos desafíos económicos: inflación y recesión. Las grandes preguntas son: ¿volverá la inflación a la normalidad en 2023 y, de ser así, se necesitará...
Most surveys show inflation is one of the top issues in the country. For several months the inflation rate has been hovering just shy of double-digits on a year-over-year basis. But what if the Federal Reserve is successful in reducing the inflation rate? Does this mean we’re fine? What if, for example, this time next...