Inflation Overview There are two broad factors that affect prices – supply and demand. Generally, inflation is caused when there is a change to one of these factors. If the supply of goods is reduced for a given demand, prices (inflation) will increase until a higher price level is reached that balances the demand to […]
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The Labor Market Overview A collage of factors influenced the labor market in 2021, with some of those factors likely to continue impacting the labor market in 2022. The economic rebound of 2021 prompted a flurry of job openings; however, those job openings were not always filled, and talk of a “labor shortage” resulted. First, […]
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The events of the last two years are ones that few Americans thought they would ever see. The performance of the U.S. economy as we enter 2022 continues to be unprecedented in many ways. The gradual changes that typically occur in a normal business cycle for economic growth, the labor market, and inflation were replaced […]
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Recent political discussions have included the possibility of the U.S. defaulting on its debt. That would be irresponsible, costly, and foolish. A quick review of why the discussion on the debt limit, commonly called the debt ceiling, is currently taking place. The debt limit is the maximum amount of debt that the Department of the […]
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Unfortunately, COVID-19 is well into its second year of affecting supply chains, prices and product availability around the world. Global trade plays an extremely important role in product availability and pricing with supply chains playing a crucial role in both. In 2020 the COVID pandemic had a significant, negative impact on global trade and supply […]
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The rate of inflation in the United States is generally measured by the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is a weighted average of prices for a basket of consumer goods and services, including transportation, food, and medical care. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the change in the CPI each month. […]
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This article was originally a part of the Center for Business and Economic Insight Spring 2021 Presentation. The United States is emerging from one of the most challenging and unique economic periods in its history. This challenging economic period was different from others. The economic downturn wasn’t the result of financial market problems or other […]
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by Greg Wright, M.A., executive director at CREATE Portage Countyand UWSP Professor of Economics Jason R. Davis, Ph.D. This article was originally a part of the Center for Business and Economic Insight Spring 2021 Presentation. Regional economic development has traditionally focused on using tax incentives to attract businesses and create jobs while leveraging strong public […]
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Looking to the Future The Center for Business and Economic Insight staff is looking forward to getting back to normal and that means reviving our bi-annual face-to-face breakfast meetings and physical publications, starting this December! As we look to the future, Chief Analyst Kevin Bahr provides needed context in The Economy–Where We’ve Been and Where […]
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The American Rescue Plan has been signed into law by President Biden. To obtain passage by both the House and Senate, the Act was modified from what was initially proposed by the Biden Administration. The modifications include lower income limits for stimulus eligibility and the elimination of any increase in the minimum wage. This blog […]
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