New research has tentatively reconfirmed earlier findings that simply installing commercially available $700 air filters in classrooms that were void of any noxious fumes to begin with raised math scores by 0.20 standard deviations and English scores by 0.18 standard deviations! These are shocking, … [Read more...]

December net job growth of 145,000 brings CY2019 employment gains to 2.1 million, down from almost 2.7 million in 2018. While job growth has slowed, average growth over the past decade has been 2.2 million/year, so it remains sufficiently solid to support continued strong household consumption … [Read more...]

The Friday File: In 1851, scientists established body temperature at 98.6 degrees. After reexamining almost 700,000 temperature readings since 1840, researchers find body temperature has been steadily falling by 1/20 of a degree per birth decade. After accounting for measurement error and improved … [Read more...]

In 1981, the median age of the US homebuyer was 31. By 1989, it had drifted up to 34, and just after the relatively mild 1990 recession, it shot up to 42. By 1997, it bottomed at 35 and since then has almost steadily risen. By 2000 it was 39, by 2006 it was 41, in 2013 it rose to 42, by 2015 it was … [Read more...]

The US goods and services trade deficit shrank to $43.1 billion in November, its lowest level since 10/16 when it was just $42 billion. And, our trade deficit with China over the last 12 months is $358 billion, down from $420 billion for the year ending 12/18. Separately, after hurting GDP growth … [Read more...]

On 6/30/19 the US population was 328,239,523 and for the year ending 6/30/19 population growth was a dismal 1,552,022, or just 0.5%, continuing a decades-long decline. This growth rate was the lowest since the population fell in 1918 due to the Spanish Influenza pandemic; lower than what it was … [Read more...]

Boeing recently announced it was reducing to zero planes/month, from 42 planes/month, production of the 737 MAX which was already down from 52 planes/month following a second crash and the subsequent grounding of the plane in 4/19. Halting production will dramatically reduce industrial production, … [Read more...]

The Friday File: 16% of persons want to be consulted before their partner makes a purchase of under $100, and 20% set it at $100-$199. It then steadily declines to 12% for purchases between $200-$299, 8% between $300-$399, and 2% from $400-$499. For purchases over $500 the percentage rises to 16%. … [Read more...]

A year ago, six Fed members saw short-term rates ending 2019 up by three-quarters of a point, 5 members saw them rising by half a point, 4 members by a quarter-point, and two members saw no change. In the end, the Fed lowered rates by three-quarters of a point. For what it’s worth, 13 Fed members … [Read more...]

I wish to take this opportunity to thank you all for your ongoing interest in my daily economics blog. You all enrich my life in many ways and I am deeply appreciative. I wish you and yours the best year ever in annualized, seasonally risk-adjusted terms. May it be a year of full employment, large … [Read more...]