In an August 10 commentary, Harvard economist Dani Rodrik discussed the importance of manufacturing to a nation’s economy.
On August 8, the Bank for International Settlements published a paper on why some countries performed better and some performed worse during the economic slowdown. It was partially policy and partly luck, it says.
In an August 8 commentary, economist Heleen Mees argued that there is still a global savings glut that will hold down bond yields fore the foreseeable future.
On August 2, the Bureau of Labor Statistics published a chartbook of international labor comparisons.
On July 28, the Census Bureau reported that the number of nonemployee businesses declined 260,000 in 2009 on top of a decline of 350,000 in 2008.
Also on July 28, the Brookings Institution published a study on the declining economic prospects for men.
And on July 28, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago published a study which says that a key reason for high unemployment is that employers are having a difficult time finding qualified workers.
On July 27, the American Society of Civil Engineers published a study on the economic cost of deteriorating public infrastructure.
On July 27, the Financial Stability Oversight Council issued its first annual report.
On July 27, the House Committee on Financial Services held a hearing on the credit rating agencies such as Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s.
Bruce Bartlett is an American historian and columnist who focuses on the intersection between politics and economics. He blogs daily and writes a weekly columnThe 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).
