Overview for economy

Employers Wonder: "Is Something Wrong With You?"

Being one of the longer-term unemployed is especially dangerous: the longer one is without a job, the harder it is to get one. With the release of new employment numbers on Friday March 4th, we at Frum Forum decided that it was time to listen to the voices of the young as they face the …

Written by Richard Fair on Friday March 4, 2011

"How Can I Pay Back My Loans Without a Job?"

After starting my expensive law school education, I've realized the job market is over-saturated. There are too many graduates and not enough jobs. With new employment numbers due Friday, March 4th, we at Frum Forum decided that it was time to listen to the voices of the young as they face …

Written by Allison on Thursday March 3, 2011

"I Wonder if Going to College Was Worth It"

I have a masters degree, spent six years in the Army Reserve and was a teacher before grad school. Yet the only job I've found is as a security guard. With new employment numbers due Friday, March 4th, we at Frum Forum decided that it was time to listen to the voices of the young as they face …

Written by Pablo on Thursday March 3, 2011

"The American Dream Is For Suckers"

So I listened to my parents, to my teachers, and to my elders and I studied hard. What was the point? With new employment numbers due Friday, March 4th, we at Frum Forum decided that it was time to listen to the voices of the young as they face the challenges of this economic crisis. Over the …

Written by Gregg Neville on Thursday March 3, 2011

I Was "Too Qualified" to Work

Some accuse my generation of disdaining jobs "beneath" us. In reality, employers won't hire overqualified applicants. With new employment numbers due Friday, March 4th, we at Frum Forum decided that it was time to listen to the voices of the young as they face the challenges of this …

Written by Tucker Slosburg on Wednesday March 2, 2011

Bernanke: Budget Cuts Could Cost 200K Jobs

Bernanke: Budget Cuts Will Cost Jobs Reuters reports: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday a Republican spending cut plan would not cause a big dent to U.S. economic growth, but could cost around 200,000 jobs. Bernanke said that a $60 billion cut along the lines …

Written by FrumForum News on Wednesday March 2, 2011

"I Learned How Desperate People Are..."

During my job search, I learned how desperate people are these days: there were many more people than me in the job market and many more qualified. With new employment numbers due Friday, March 4th, we at Frum Forum decided that it was time to listen to the voices of the young as they face …

Written by Robert Wilson on Wednesday March 2, 2011

Washington's Shutdown Double Dare

Each party's hoping to avoid a shutdown. Unfortunately, knowing that makes each side more willing to use a shutdown threat to shakedown their opponents. If you're a Democrat, you think shutting down the government could crash the economy. If this happens and there's no time for a recovery by …

Written by Andrew Gelman on Wednesday March 2, 2011

Canada Shows the GOP How It's Done

Lately, Republicans clamoring for smaller government have been increasingly looking to Canada for examples of successful conservative policies. Charles Koch, the billionaire businessman currently under fire from the left over his contributions to conservative causes, wrote a widely circulated …

Written by Tim Mak on Tuesday March 1, 2011

"I Couldn't Even Get a Job at Starbucks"

One of the shocks of applying to the harsh post-recession job market has been learning that not even low-skilled, entry level jobs are easy to get. With new employment numbers due Friday, March 4th, we at Frum Forum decided that it was time to listen to the voices of the young as they face …

Written by Margaret Robinson on Tuesday March 1, 2011

Can We Cut Our Way to Prosperity?

Monday, a report claiming the GOP budget would cost 700,000 jobs grabbed headlines. But will shrinking government really kill the recovery? One economist from a moderately respected firm has made headlines with a report claiming that reduced government spending along the lines Republicans …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Monday February 28, 2011

Fannie & Freddie Reforms Won't Save Taxpayers

Taxpayer aid to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is already more than $150 billion. But don't expect that number to drop even if Congress passes reforms. Freddie Mac, the mortgage-finance company operating under federal conservatorship, reported a loss this week of $14 billion for 2010. No goodwill …

Written by Steven Trowern on Sunday February 27, 2011

Why the Industrial Revolution Hit Britain First

Gregory Clark's new book, A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World, makes an important point about why England industrialized first. Last month I (belatedly) read Gregory Clark's, A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World . One of the key assertions in …

Written by David Frum on Sunday February 27, 2011

Giving Moderation a Bad Name

The so-called moderate Baucus plan announced yesterday offers no answers to the problem of rising health costs. It imposes an individual mandate, extends federal subsidies, and imposes a tax on employers to generate some expansion of coverage. But as to cost control, it proposes virtually nothing. …

Written by David Frum on Thursday September 17, 2009

Electoral Disaster Looms for German Left

With five weeks remaining before the German general elections, all the polling data continues to shows the Social Democrats badly trailing the rival Christian Democrats of Chancellor Angela Merkel. It has not been a good summer for the German Social Democratic party (SPD) and its chancellor …

Written by John Rosenthal on Wednesday August 26, 2009