Topic: Economy

Illustration of Caribbean Research Brief / Labor

An Early Episode of How Corporate Profits Shaped Labor Markets

Caribbean plantation owners, faced with slavery’s end, enacted legal barriers to employment elsewhere

TV News anchor Research Brief / Politics

Municipal Pension Crisis Made Worse by Democrats in Close Elections

Sixty years of data suggest retirement obligations rise after Democrats scrape into office

Illustration of a person pulling a line chart Research Brief / Consumer Lending

Credit Scores, Used to Predict Repayment, Can Restrain Economic Recovery

Rigid adherence to scoring systems can reduce consumer spending when it’s most needed

Workers leaving a building Research Brief / Labor

Which Policies Best Counter Mass Layoffs? Maybe None

A study of military base closures finds that labor-friendly policies had little effect on job growth after the layoffs

Loaded cargo ship docked Forecast / International Trade

Some Unfortunate Truths about Trade

The troublesome relationship between tariffs, trade deficits and the tenuous economic recovery

People with luggage Research Brief / Economy

Modern Monetary Theory: Fiasco in Latin America, Option in U.S.?

The populist model, embraced by some on the American left, resembles policy that helped torpedo some smaller economies

Illustration of vultures sitting on a sign in a city Research Brief / Debt

Less Leveraged Than the Competition: Ready to Snag Distressed Assets in a Recession

When bad times hit, highly indebted companies often have to sell operations and equipment at fire-sale prices

Illustration of office buildings with a silhouette of a figure holding their arms out Research Brief / Taxes

Businesses Vastly Overestimate the Likelihood of Being Audited

Should tax-collecting agencies keep audit activity secret to discourage cheating?

Illustration of two arms shaking hands with skyscrapers in the middle Research Brief / Mergers and Acquisitions

In Some Industries, Are Corporate Combinations Actually Good for Consumers?

A model focuses on startups that, while developing innovative products, seek a lucrative buyout

Aerial shot of downtown Los Angeles freeways Research Brief / Housing

Rising Rents Force Families to Curtail Spending on Food and Health Care

Cost burdens affect half of U.S. households that rent, as housing shortage worsens

Aerial shot of an industrial district Forecast / Technology

Tech Sector Propels California’s Economy Faster than the Nation’s

New economic indicator allows forecasters to monitor the state's performance more closely

Aerial shot of a port Forecast / International Trade

The Dollar: That Other Trade Problem

A strong currency makes U.S. exports harder to sell, even outside of China

McDonald's employee Forecast / Economy

Does a Rising Tide of High-Wage Tech Jobs Really Lift All Boats?

Analysis shows an increase in jobs for low-wage workers, but the buying power of their paycheck declines

Students in cap and gown Research Brief / Economics

Where College Graduates Gather, Prosperity Rises

Data show growth of educated adults in city populations

Digital map Research Brief / Markets

Does Better Corporate Disclosure Boost Markets?

Stronger financial reporting standards seem to mean more for growth of countries’ credit markets than their stock markets

Two male workers walking in storage room Feature / Unemployment

Government Coverage of Payrolls Could Cost Less than Jobless Benefits

Analysis also suggests a more rapid economic recovery by keeping workers and employers allied