The recession-or-not question might be getting a little easier to answer. Despite all sorts of grim data from various sectors and from a dozen or so states, the latest GDP numbers from the Bureau of Economic Analysis show the U.S.…
The press release headline from the Georgia Dept. of Labor sounds promising — Metro Savannah’s unemployment rate declines to 9.3 percent in September — but there’s little good news in this latest report. Yes, the Savannah metro area employment rate…
I’ve been following the debt crisis in Europe moderately closely, but haven’t posted anything about it of substance. But things appear to be coming to a head. And, since everything that has happened in the wake of the 2008 financial…
As the economy recovers, will we see the number of total miles driven in America return to its historical norms? Or are we seeing some sort of permanent shift in driving because of the extreme nature of the recent recession,…
About a month ago, I wrote about the increasingly suburban face of poverty. In that post, I noted that poverty is still higher in urban areas than suburban areas, but I quoted the following from the Brookings Institution: From 2000…
I haven’t looked at any of the news reports about today’s release of the August (actually a 3-month average of June, July and August) S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, but I’ll bet there’s some confusion. Case-Shiller focuses on data that is…
Is another recession already underway? Imminent? Or will we stave off a technical recession even as we are mired in a period of slow growth with many economic measures stuck far below their highs from four years ago? I’ve made…
I still have my doubts about any federal efforts to help the housing market, but I am impressed by the planned expansion of the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), detailed today by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Those who…
According to GasBuddy.com, , the average pump price for a gallon of unleaded is about $3.39. That’s considerably lower than in recent months, but up more than a dime since I last posted about gas prices. Because of the visibility…
I’ve made a lot of posts about the number of failed banks in Georgia since 2008. While we haven’t gotten anything close to a full accounting of the reasons for the crisis in Georgia, there are obvious culprits: lax regulation,…
487,471 Georgians are receiving unemployment checks right now. That’s a staggering number for a state with less than 10 million people. Almost 15% of residents over the age of 18 are currently receiving unemployment benefits. Right now, the highest weekly…
Georgia is in no danger of losing its status as home to more failed banks in the last few years than any other state. The FDIC has just announced the failure of two more banks: Community Capital Bank in Jonesboro…
I’ve written a lot in recent years about housing and home prices. I have been disdainful of just about every move the federal government has made — even those like the homebuyer tax credits that enjoyed broad bipartisan support. None…
Many, many municipalities in Georgia — including all in Chatham County — will be voting in a few weeks on allowing Sunday package sales of beer, wine, and liquor. I wasn’t the only one expecting a serious campaign to defeat…
