Econ70

The peak monthly load factor (a measure of capacity utilization) for US airlines on all routes barely rose from 85% in 7/06 to 87% in 7/15. During the same period, the trough steadily rose from 73% in 1/06 to 79%…

Last year, the number of US-born babies surprisingly declined to 3,977,775 from 3,988,076 in 2014. Births peaked in 2007 at 4,316,233, slightly ahead of 1957 with 4,300,000 births! In 2015, the number of live births per 1,000 women ages 15-44…

The Friday File: While sugar prices are up 67% YTD from 12 cents/lb. to 20 and cocoa prices are up 10% to $7,500, fret not. Cocoa beans are just 7% of the cost of a chocolate bar; while sugar is…

Since 2007, prescription drug prices have risen 165%. By contrast, the cost of generic drugs has fallen 70%. Moreover, the percentage of prescriptions that are filled with generic drugs is 84%. The key is competition. With one generic competitor, the…

Between 2004 and 2009, 45% of mutual funds run by professional stock pickers beat the stock market; not great but not dismal. Since then, only 25% of funds managed by Wall Street pros have beaten the market. That is horrendous.…

Friday’s August jobs report, showing just 151,000 net new jobs, slowing hourly earnings growth of 0.1%, the loss of 6,000 construction jobs, and a slight reduction in average hours worked/week, has reduced the probability of a Fed rate rise of…

The Friday File: While the cost of owning a dog varies considerably by breed, age, geographic location etc…, after accounting for food, vet bills, toys, treats, a license, beds, dog sitters, grooming, medicine and supplies, the average is $1,670/year. In…

For the years 2010 through 2012, of the 5.5 million jobs created, 22% paid between $30,000/year and $60,000/year, 40% paid less than $30,000/year, and 38% paid more than $60,000/year. However, for the three years ending 2015, 42.6% of the 5.3…

From 1968-1990, the marriage rate steadily declined from about 82% to 67% for all women regardless of education. Since 1990, rates have diverged. For women with a professional degree/Ph.D., the rate is 80% and rising while for women with a…