December FOMC Review
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decided to raise the IOER rate from 1.25% to 1.50%. This change will lead the fed funds rate to trade in between 1.25% (ON-RRP rate) and 1.50% (IOER rate).
Weekly Economic Update: December 11 – December 15, 2017
Since peaking in August 2006 at 13.4 million barrels per day (b/d), U.S. net imports of crude oil and petroleum products have fallen to 3.4 million b/d as of September 2017. This is the lowest level since February 1985.
Love, Marriage, and the Baby Carriage: The Rise in Unwed Childbearing
The most intimate and central form of associational life is the family—an institution with primary responsibility for nurturing children and transmitting values, knowledge, aspirations, and skills to subsequent generations. A healthy family life is the foundation for a healthy associational li...
November 2017 Jobs Review
228,000 jobs were created in November, exceeding expectations. The prime-age (25 to 54) labor force participation rate rose from 81.6% to 81.8%. Substantial job growth together with modest wage growth suggests the U.S. economy has room to grow.
The Fiscal Effect of Private-School Vouchers
While the primary purpose of a voucher program is to empower parents to choose a school that best serves the unique gifts and challenges of their children, there is also a fiscal benefit for the state and/or local government.
Weekly Economic Update: December 4 – December 8, 2017
Prior to 2008, private banks would use nearly every dollar of their customers’ deposits to issues loans and leases. However, now banks hold sizeable amounts in reserve instead, as the chart shows.
Weekly Economic Update: November 27 – December 1, 2017
The Chart of the Week shows that paying interest on reserves diminishes private banks' incentive to lend.
Weekly Economic Update: November 20 – November 24, 2017
The Weekly Economic Update's Chart of the Week shows that low unemployment is no longer correlated with high inflation, in other words, there is no more Phillips Curve.
Tackling America’s Regulatory Burden
Congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration have made it a priority to improve America’s regulatory apparatus and reverse the previous overregulation.
Weekly Economic Update: November 13 – November 17, 2017
As of the week ending November 3, domestic crude oil production reached a record high of 9.62 million barrels per day, despite worldwide crude oil prices falling about 50% since mid-2014. This achievement is the result of U.S. oil producers becoming more efficient at fracking.
