A January 10 Rasmussen poll reported declining support for public employee unions.
Also on January 10, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco published a study that explains the recent rise in the saving rate largely on the reduced availability of credit.
On January 7, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York published a staff report on changes in household debt in the 2000s.
On January 6, the Census Bureau announced publication of the 2011 edition of the Statistical Abstract of the United States.
On January 4, the Census Bureau released new data on poverty and income distribution based on alternate definitions of poverty and income.
In a January 2 commentary, economist Mark Zandi expressed great optimism for 2011. He believes that the business sector has fully recovered from the recession and is poised to raise investment based on strong profits.
On December 31, the Bureau of Labor Statistics published an article on the extent to which workers bring work home from the office. It finds that those who bring work home are overwhelmingly male, middle-aged, white, married, college-educated, childless, and work in management or professional services.
On December 15, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development published the 2010 edition of its Creative Economy Report. It provides empirical evidence that the creative industries are among the most dynamic emerging sectors in world trade. It also shows that the interface among creativity, culture, economics and technology, as expressed in the ability to create and circulate intellectual capital, has the potential to generate income, jobs and export earnings while at the same time contributing to social inclusion, cultural diversity and human development.
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).