Uncategorized

Could local debt weigh down China’s economy?

In January 2019, Xie Junchi eagerly signed a contract to provide 20,000 tons of steel to the Zunyi Road and Bridge Engineering Construction Group every month, a company controlled by the local government of Guizhou, for public road construction. Four years later Mr. Xie has received only $30,000 of the $550,000 […]

The Higher Costs of Deploying Broadband

When rural electric cooperatives began considering deploying broadband internet, thanks to a flush of billions of dollars in federal funding to close the digital divide, they had one goal in mind — ensuring their members had reliable access to high-speed internet. What they probably weren’t expecting, however, was the one-two […]

Window with now hiring signs

Jobs Growth Continues to Defy Expectations 

Jobs growth exceeded expectations last month, and unemployment fell to the lowest level in decades. But that surprise performance may mean higher interest rates as the Federal Reserve continues in its efforts to limit price rises.  The economy added 253,000 jobs in April, beating both expert predictions and the figures […]

Five Things to Watch for in April’s Retail Sales Report

On Tuesday morning, the U.S Census Bureau will release the latest retail sales report, which chronicles the amount consumers spent on goods and services the previous month. Here are five things to watch for in April’s report:  Following a January high, retail sales fell by a revised .5% in February […]

Five Things to Watch Out for in April’s CPI Report

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report, one measure of inflation, will be released Wednesday morning. Economists’ averaged forecast for April’s headline CPI is expected to rise 0.41%, according to Bloomberg, while the headline CPI for the year ending in April is predicted to rise 4.99%. […]

Worker in a factory

Five Things to Watch in the March Durable Goods Report

On Wednesday, the Census Bureau will release the advance report on durable goods, showing the level of manufacturing orders and shipments for March. Most economists expect to see a small increase in total new orders, with a survey by Bloomberg indicating an average forecast of +0.7%.  Here are five things […]