The Intersection of a Productivity Surge and a Competitive Job Market
Edmund Phelps: Insights on Productivity Fluctuations Edmund Phelps, who passed away recently at 92, was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics in 2006 for his contributions to understanding unemployment, inflation, and expectations. One of his more intriguing concepts—the productivity business cycle—hasn’t quite garnered the attention it merits. It’s unfortunate, really, because Phelps’ theories are precisely […]
Steve Hilton: I Will Boost California’s Economy Through Innovation and Productivity, Not Immigration
Steve Hilton, a top Republican contender for governor in California, expressed on Tuesday that he aims to enhance the state’s economy through innovation and productivity rather than by increasing the number of illegal immigrants. Hilton’s approach to economic growth starkly contrasts with that of Democrats, who appear to believe that attracting low-wage workers and welfare-dependent […]
Healthy Americans Weigh Down Productivity as the Fed Plans Rate Increases Amidst $4 Gas Prices
Weekly Wrap: Americans have worked longer, but they haven’t gotten any smarter. Welcome to Friday! This is a digest of recent economic and financial events. We’re taking a look at what happened over the past week, keeping it straightforward and to the point. This week, the Labor Department reported that while Americans worked as expected […]
Women’s rights do not hinder productivity.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – A simple lunch chat between a county governor and a cabinet member about a colleague’s menstrual discomfort sparked a significant development: Kenya’s introduction of menstrual leave for female employees. This policy officially began in December 2025, allowing civil servants in Nairobi two days off each month to address menstrual pain. The […]
What Is Driving Our Productivity Surge?
Boom Increases Productivity There’s a noticeable surge in productivity across America, possibly due to a few factors: inflation seems to be under control, even with rising wages, and the economy is seeing significant growth. This Thursday, the government revealed that productivity increased at an annual rate of 4.9%. This figure reflects a steady trend, similar […]
U.S. Factory Productivity Upgraded Due to Increased Durable-Goods Production
U.S. Manufacturing Productivity Surpasses Expectations In the third quarter, U.S. manufacturing productivity performed better than anticipated, largely due to robust production in the durable goods sector. This indicates improved efficiency on factory floors. Specifically, productivity in durable goods manufacturing grew at an annualized rate of 5.4%, a revision upward from the initial estimate of 4.7%. […]
Manufacturing Rebounds with Increases in Productivity, Production, and Wages
Tariff Issues Missed in Factory Data A recent article from Bloomberg by economist Scott Linthicum at the Cato Institute claims that the U.S. manufacturing sector “ended 2025 with a bang,” pointing to significant job losses and weak survey data as signs of policy failure. Yet, this perspective seems rather misguided. It seems to treat employment […]
Productivity in the U.S. Rises as Companies Move from Low-Cost Labor to Investment
U.S. Labor Productivity Surges in Q3 2025 The U.S. labor productivity saw a notable increase in the third quarter of 2025, rising at an annual rate of 4.9%. This uptick indicates that workers are generating more output per hour, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday. This growth surpassed the 3.6% […]
Rep. Eric Swalwell criticizes the GOP for the lowest productivity level in Congress.
California Lawmaker Criticizes Congressional Productivity A California lawmaker, who recently stepped down to pursue a gubernatorial run, has claimed that Congressional Republicans have created one of the least productive legislative sessions. However, Republicans argue that Democrats share equal responsibility for this outcome. Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California, aspiring to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, […]
Bank leaders believe AI will enhance productivity and lead to job losses.
U.S. Banks Embrace AI for Productivity Gains NEW YORK, Dec. 9 – Major U.S. banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to boost productivity, although concerns about job losses loom. At the Goldman Sachs Financial Services Conference, Marian Lake, head of consumer banking at JPMorgan, highlighted a significant uptick […]