US economy

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US Innovation Stagnates: Survey

Americans think China is winning—and China thinks we're on top

(Newser) - Most Americans are anxious about a future they believe will be fueled by innovation—innovation they are doubtful will come easily in this country without major changes to the education system. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the recession has hobbled the country’s ability to innovate, and just 41% see...

Poll: Grouchy Public Sticks With Obama

Glum nation pessimistic about economy, wars

(Newser) - America's mood has crashed hard after the euphoria that greeted Barack Obama's inauguration: A recent poll shows the country in a pessimistic funk as the president struggles to revive the economy and fight two wars abroad. But Americans haven't lost all faith in Obama: His approval stands at 54%, no...

Dems Will Regret Not Being Bolder on Economy
Dems Will Regret Not Being Bolder on Economy
PAUL KRUGMAN

Dems Will Regret Not Being Bolder on Economy

Voter backlash is about failure to lower unemployment

(Newser) - Paul Krugman doesn't buy the GOP conclusion that voters Tuesday rejected the Obama agenda. The election just showed that American voters are worried about their jobs, he writes, and this time next year, with unemployment still high, Democrats will likely regret not having been bolder on the economy when...

Bernanke: US Must Save More, Asia Spend More

Fed chief warns global imbalances could trigger new meltdown

(Newser) - The world economy is headed back down the drain if Asians don't start spending more and Americans don't start saving more, Ben Bernanke said at a conference yesterday. The Fed chief warned that unequal trade patterns were partly to blame for the financial crisis and that they are re-emerging as...

China's Rise Threatens to Turn US Into Britain

America will end up as an also-ran if it can't reinvigorate its economy

(Newser) - America used its financial clout to knock the British Empire into second place last century and it's in danger of receiving the same treatment from China in the not-too-distant future, writes Zachary Karabell. China is the American government's biggest creditor, much as the US was to Britain in 1946, Karabell...

Put New Stimulus to Work for Unemployed

Painful 'new normal' isn't good enough

(Newser) - Economists are buzzing about a "new normal" of higher unemployment and wage stagnation post-recession, but Americans shouldn't resign themselves to a mediocre economy, writes Harold Meyerson. Downturns triggered by banking crises usually cause higher rates of unemployment for longer periods than normal downturns, but the cycle can be broken...

Obama Mulls Tax Cuts, Spending to Goose Economy

Grim jobs outlook spurs talks on new stimulus measures

(Newser) - The Obama administration is examining new ways to boost the economy amid troubling unemployment statistics. The White House and Democratic leaders in Congress are considering strategies that include new transportation spending and an extension of tax credits for first-time homebuyers and small businesses struggling with operating losses. A proposal to...

Recession's Over, Need for More Stimulus Isn't

Job market needs big improvements now to avoid a troubled future

(Newser) - The recession may technically be over but that's no reason for policymakers to start hanging up "Mission Accomplished" banners, writes Paul Krugman. Getting complacent about the state of the economy will result in a vast amount of human misery, he says, because the job market is still terrible and...

Rise in Mergers Signals Fresh Confidence
Rise in Mergers 
Signals Fresh Confidence 
ANALYSIS

Rise in Mergers Signals Fresh Confidence

Chief execs becoming more bullish about recovery prospects

(Newser) - Mergers and acquisitions activity is still way down from pre-financial crisis levels, but a recent flurry of big deals suggests America's chief executives are regaining confidence in their own businesses. Recent mergers have involved strategic buys by big companies instead of the debt-fueled private equity buys seen a couple of...

Jobless Outnumber Jobs, 6-1
 Jobless Outnumber Jobs, 6-1 

Jobless Outnumber Jobs, 6-1

Ratio hits worst level since recording began in 2000

(Newser) - Even as the US pulls out of the recession, the ranks of the out-of-work have swelled to 14.5 million people, leaving six jobless people vying for every available job—the worst ratio since the Labor Department began keeping track in 2000. "There's too much uncertainty out there,"...

G20 Near Deal to Open Economies to Scrutiny

'Peer review' system will let nations assess each other's policies

(Newser) - The G20 is on the brink of a deal this morning that will require members to "peer review" one another's economic policies—a substantial shift that will expose the US and China to wider scrutiny from less wealthy countries. The new top table for international negotiation wants less American...

Geithner Warns of Long, Hard Road Ahead

Administration a long way from saying 'mission accomplished' on financial crisis

(Newser) - The economy is no longer on the brink of the abyss but there's a long way to go before recovery takes hold, Tim Geithner warned yesterday. The Treasury secretary told a congressional committee that while the financial system is showing signs of better health, regulation of the financial system needs...

Forget Health Reform&mdash;We Can't Afford It
Forget Health Reform—We Can't Afford It
OPINION

Forget Health Reform—We Can't Afford It

The economy should be Obama's top priority: Henninger

(Newser) - Barack Obama makes health care sound like the most pressing issue in American life, but with unemployment at 10% and the country still officially in recession, Daniel Henninger wonders why he's "draining a dwindling reservoir of presidential capital." The cost of health care may be a problem for...

Dropout Rates Turning US Colleges Into 'Failure Factories'

Students' failure to make it to the finish line is dragging down the economy

(Newser) - The failure of America's colleges to turn more freshmen into graduates is doing huge amounts of damage to the economy, David Leonhardt writes in the New York Times. Only half of those enrolled in college emerge with a degree, the worst rate of any developed country except Italy. This dismal...

In Recovery, Business Will Profit at Workers' Expense

Short-term outlook 'great for business, terrible for households'

(Newser) - The economy is slowly improving, but companies will see the benefits long before the unemployed and underemployed will, Bloomberg reports. A Department of Labor report released yesterday found that the average workweek is at a near-record low of 33.1 hours. The lack of uptick in part-time hours is an...

Obama: Ignore Reform 'Rumors'

(Newser) - President Barack Obama asked Americans to put no stock in "outlandish rumors" that health care reform will "promote euthanasia, or cut Medicaid, or bring about a government takeover of health care," in his weekly radio and Internet address today. "That's simply not true." Politico noted...

Job Losses Slow, Unemployment Dips to 9.4%

(Newser) - Job losses slowed more than expected last month, and unemployment fell from 9.5% to 9.4% in its first dip since April 2008, the Labor Department announced today, marking another strong positive sign for the economy. Payrolls fell by 247,000, a big improvement over the 443,000 lost...

McCain: Obama Governing From 'Far Left'
McCain: Obama Governing
From 'Far Left'
interview

McCain: Obama Governing From 'Far Left'

He blasts policies in interview, praises Palin for energizing party

(Newser) - John McCain is busier, and angrier, than ever, writes Stephen Moore in the Wall Street Journal. The senator has become one of the fiercest critics of Obamanomics, with free-flowing stimulus and bailout dollars re-energizing his career-long fight against pork-barrel spending. President Obama was elected to govern from the center, McCain...

Bernanke Defends Bailouts in First Fed Town Hall Meeting

(Newser) - Fed chief Ben Bernanke fielded questions from the public in an unprecedented town hall meeting last night, the Kansas City star reports. Sounding every bit like a candidate running for office, Bernanke defended his moves during the recession and financial crisis, saying he had learned from his predecessors' mistakes in...

Good News: We've Hit Bottom!
Good News: We've Hit Bottom!
Analysis

Good News: We've Hit Bottom!

Of course, the bad news is: We've hit bottom!

(Newser) - Former Fed vice chairman Alan Blinder has some good news and some bad news about the economy, and it’s the same news: We’ve hit bottom. Third-quarter GDP should turn positive, and the fourth quarter could even hold an upside surprise. Growth of 3% or even 4% is utterly...

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