James C. Cooper

James C. Cooper

JAMES C. COOPER was BusinessWeek's senior editor and senior economist and wrote the influential Business Outlook column. Cooper joined the magazine in 1980 and was named Business Outlook Editor in 1988, before rising to senior editor in 2001. Prior to BusinessWeek, Cooper was an economist at the American Paper Institute, performing economic analysis and forecasting as the trade group's director of special studies. He earned bachelors and masters degrees in economics from North Carolina State University.

Recent Stories By James C. Cooper:

  • Beware the Earnings Slowdown in 2012December 26, 2011

    93 of the S&P 500 companies have issued fourth-quarter earnings warnings Overseas earnings account for more than 20 percent of corporate profits Business productivity this year is up less than...

  • 2012 for the Fed: The Year of Living DangerouslyDecember 19, 2011

    Will the Fed's new communications strategybe a plus or a minus? Will Fed actions include a new round of asset purchases? Will Dodd-Frank constrain the Fed’s ability to manage a crisis?What’s ahead...

  • Profits vs. Paychecks: Workers Lose BigDecember 12, 2011

    Workers’ share of national income stands at 57 percent, an all-time low Despite striking productivity growth, workers’ pay has gone nowhere Third-quarter profits were 19.4 percent above their pre-...

  • How Congress Can Derail the Improving EconomyDecember 5, 2011

    Many economists now expect fourth-quarter growth of about 3 percentFiscal drag could cut up to 2.6 percentage points from first-half GDP growth Household savings has fallen to 3.5 percent of income,...

  • Why Job Markets May Never Be the Same AgainNovember 21, 2011

    Full employment may now be a 7-7.5 percent jobless rate. Job openings are 30-40 percent higher than typical at 9 percent unemployment. There are 13.9. unemployed construction workers per job opening...

  • Why an EU Recession Could Quickly Infect the U.S.November 14, 2011

    A key Eurozone output index fell to the lowest level in 28 months. Spending in the Eurozone accounts for 41 percent of S&P 500 revenues.Italy's debtis 23 percent of all Eurozone sovereign debt...

  • Economic Good News: States’ Tax Revenue RisesNovember 7, 2011

    State revenues are up 10.8 percent from a year ago Budget gaps, totaling $91 billion this year, are expected to shrink State rainy-day reserves have risen to 5-6 percent of overall spending The...

  • Why Business Is Spending But Not HiringOctober 31, 2011

    94 percent of business spending has gone to replace worn-out equipment Only 6 percent of outlays have gone to expanding operations Net business investment is still 55 percent below its pre-recession...

  • Housing: Been Down So Low, It Looks Like Up to MeOctober 24, 2011

    Excluding distressed properties, home price are rising in 26 states.Census data show 600,000 fewer homeowners and 1.4 million new renters.Another recession could push home prices down an additional 7...

  • Holiday Shopping: The Big Test for the EconomyOctober 17, 2011

    Retailers expect holiday sales to be up 2.8 percent from 2010 Yearly growth in real household income has slowed to only 0.3 percent 88 percent of holiday shoppers will not increase spending...

  • Recession Nightmare: From Unemployed to UnemployableOctober 10, 2011

    45 percent of the unemployed have been jobless for more than six months. Of those unemployed more than 12 months, only 1 in 10 return to work. Unemployment for college graduates is is 4.2 percent No...

  • How Europe’s Crisis Can Tip U.S. into RecessionOctober 3, 2011

    More than 40 percent of analysts and investors expect a global recession. Exports to the U.S. and eurozone are 40 percent of emerging-market GDP. Stock market capitalization of eurozone banks has...

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