The debt limit will be raised; no one expects otherwise. The problem here is Congress reconvenes around mid-January, and it isn't a lot of time they have to get this done. But they'll get it done. |
The economy has its own natural inertia that will carry it forward. |
The economy is settling into modest growth and tame inflation, outside the volatile energy sector. Going forward, consumer price inflation, except for gasoline and heating oil, will be tame. |
The economy will slow next year. On the plus side we have falling gas prices but that decline won't be enough to offset falling home prices. |
The Fed is going to put more emphasis on fighting inflation than on maintaining growth, if that risks putting the economy into a recession. It's not a course I would choose. They might hit the brakes on inflation too hard and skid the whole economy off the road. |
The Fed now has limited leverage over the housing market. It has been unable to tap the brakes on the housing market. |
The Fed will increase the federal funds rate to 4.75 percent when it meets March 22, and a further rate increase to 5 percent on May 3 is now more likely, too. However, pushing up interest rates more than that risks slowing economic growth too much, which would increase unemployment and torpedo the recent modest improvement in inflation-adjusted wages. |
The harder the union bargains, the more plants are going to close. |
The higher import prices are starting to bite and the lower import prices are starting to have an effect,' ... I think we can start to wind our way down to about $20 billion. |
The largest threat to the survival of the automobile industry in the United States are the UAW [Union Auto Workers Union] contract and the legacy costs [of retired employees] on the one hand, and the management team that grew up in a rather cushy era in which they enjoyed market dominance, |
The national consequences of Hurricane Katrina will be much broader and deeper than initially estimated by economists, including this one, |
The outlook remains poor, ... Production cutbacks at Ford and GM, mediocre personal income growth and record trade deficits all bode poorly for economic growth and jobs creation. |
The outlook remains poor. Production cutbacks at Ford and GM, mediocre personal income growth and record trade deficits all bode poorly for economic growth and jobs creation. |
The overvalued dollar will contribute mightily to the US trade deficit until the Bush administration takes decisive action. |
The pension relationship with Delphi is complex, ... If trouble is beneath the surface, it could be a severe body blow. Along with GM's other troubles, a perfect storm could emerge. |