Wall Street Journal (July 9)
Unemployment is a lagging indicator. That is perhaps “the best that can be said for yesterday’s June jobs report.”Just18,000 new jobs were created and the jobless rate increased to 9.2%. If employment is about to turn the corner, it will be none too soon. “In this recovery we are still seven million jobs below peak employment in 2008.”
Tags: Jobs, Recession, U.S., Unemployment
Wall Street Journal (May 20)
Japan is back in recession and the problem is bigger than the quake. “The earthquake wrought considerable damage, but Japan was ailing months earlier.” GDP data for the last quarter of 2010 was revised downward from a slight contraction of 0.3% to a pronounced contraction of 0.8%. Politicians should be especially wary of measures, such as hiking the consumption tax, which might further dampen consumer spending. “Japan doesn’t have to suffer another lost decade. But it will unless the effort to rebuild earthquake- and tsunami-ravaged areas is accompanied by an effort to rebuild broken confidence.”
New York Times (April 27)
The U.S. remains locked in a “deep and broad recession.” Every major housing trend indicates “a market that is likely to decline even more.” More specifically, house prices in 20 major cities fell to April 2009 levels, their lowest yet, based on the latest Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home price report. Moreover, a Census Bureau report shows that “new home sales in March remained near their lowest levels since records were first kept in 1963.” An “all-out effort” is needed to put people back to work and stop foreclosures, but this looks unlikely. “Without a healthy housing market, there cannot be a healthy economic recovery.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/opinion/27wed2.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
The U.S. remains locked in a “deep and broad recession.” Every major housing trend indicates “a market that is likely to decline even more.” More specifically, house prices in 20 major cities fell to April 2009 levels, their lowest yet, based on the latest Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home price report. Moreover, a Census Bureau report shows that “new home sales in March remained near their lowest levels since records were first kept in 1963.” An “all-out effort” is needed to put people back to work and stop foreclosures, but this looks unlikely. “Without a healthy housing market, there cannot be a healthy economic recovery.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/opinion/27wed2.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Tags: Economy, Foreclosure, Recession, U.S., Unemployment
Boston Globe (September 28)
Harvard is still reeling from the recession. When its endowment plunged in value, the university doubled its debt load to fund operations. Harvard’s debt soared to $6 billion over the past 3 years. According to the Globe, “Harvard is maxed out on debt for the foreseeable future. In order for the university to keep its AAA bond rating, its usual way of financing buildings, borrowing from investors, is effectively off the table.” Projects, such as the $1.4 billion Allston science facility project, are now being halted as Harvard look for ways to cut costs.
