Labor-force participation hits a new 36-year low

Steve Goldstein | October 6, 2014 | MarketWatch WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — The last time fewer working-age Americans participated in the labor force, the U.S. Senate started broadcasting their proceedings. On the radio. The participation rate in September fell a tenth to 62.7%, marking the lowest level since February 1978. The falling participation rate has been…

Weak Export Growth Raises Prospect of Currency Moves

The Wall Street Journal reports on new incentives for even more currency manipulation.  Countries that rely upon engineering permanent export surpluses and siphoning money out of the US consumer market are not getting all the growth they want. Weak Export Growth Raises Prospect of Currency Moves   (Subscription required)Sluggish Global Trade Growth Is Tempting Officials to…

Our Misplaced Faith in Free Trade

Reposted from The New York Times Sunday Review (Opinion Our Misplaced Faith in Free Trade By Jeff Madrick | October 3, 2014 | NY Times Trade is one of the few areas on which mainstream economists firmly agree: More is better. But as the Obama administration pursues two huge new trade deals — one with…

CPA’s Blum Speaks Before National Defense University

  The National Defense University runs the Manufacturing Industry Seminar for mid-career officers from all the services.  Charles Blum, CPA Government Relations Director, entitled his presentation to them “Manufacturing, Trade and Globalization: Getting the Fundamentals”.  The class will visit Kia in Korea as well as Ford in Detroit.  Charlie explained that our cumulative trade deficit…

China and the Concept of “Leverage”

Henry Kissinger released a book recently and correctly stated that the U.S. can’t seem to do strategy anymore.  He was speaking in geopolitical terms. China understands strategy.  And they understand leveraging what they have to get a very big result.   In this long piece below, Patrick Mulloy writes about China’s economic rise in terms…