A March 24 study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland found that the recession has had a serious negative impact on entrepreneurship.
Also on March 24, the Cleveland Fed published a study showing that the slow improvement in household balance sheets is a major factor holding back the economic recovery.
And on March 24, the Federal Reserve Board published a study on how family wealth was affected by the economic downturn between 2007 and 2009.
On March 24, the Bureau of Labor Statistics posted new data on the impact of unemployment on families. It finds that in 2010, 12.4 percent of families had at least one unemployed member.
On March 23, the Census Bureau released a study showing that the rise in unemployment resulted from a combination of job destruction and a sharp decline in new job creation.
Also on March 23, the BLS published new productivity data. They show that only 28 percent of manufacturing industries reported higher productivity in 2009, down from 38 percent in 2008 and 56 percent in 2007.
On March 22, the Center for Economic and Policy Research published a study arguing that city-level minimum wages can be effective in raising the incomes of the working poor.
Also on March 22, the Congressional Budget Office published new projections of the labor force through 2012. It expects slow growth as the baby boom retires.
Also on March 22, Yale University economist Robert Shiller published a commentary on identifying speculative bubbles. He suggests that there may now be a bubble in the market for farm land.
And on March 22, the Brookings Institution announced that every issue of the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity would be freely available online.
Also on March 22, the BLS published a study of a special $250 payment made to Social Security recipients in 2009 as a stimulus measure. It finds that only 40 percent of the money was spent; the rest was used to pay down debt or saved.
Bruce Bartlett is an American historian and columnist who focuses on the intersection between politics and economics. He blogs daily and writes a weekly column at The Fiscal Times. Bartlett has written for Forbes Magazine and Creators Syndicate, and his work is informed by many years in government, including as a senior policy analyst in the Reagan White House. He is the author of seven books including the New York Times best-seller, Imposter: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy (Doubleday, 2006).
