|
|
SCARCITY: A pervasive condition of human existence that exists because society has unlimited wants and needs, but limited resources used for their satisfaction. In other words, while we all want a bunch of stuff, we can't have everything that we want. In slightly different words, this scarcity problem means: (1) that there's never enough resources to produce everything that everyone would like produced; (2) that some people will have to do without some of the stuff that they want or need; (3) that doing one thing, producing one good, performing one activity, forces society to give up something else; and (4) that the same resources can not be used to produce two different goods at the same time. We live in a big, bad world of scarcity. This big, bad world of scarcity is what the study of economics is all about. That's why we usually subtitle scarcity: THE ECONOMIC PROBLEM.
Visit the GLOSS*arama
|
|
|
|
|
State of the ECONOMY
|
| Production/Income |
| Real average weekly earnings |
November 2016 |
$367.50 Bureau of Labor Statistics |
Constant 1982-84 dollars |
| Median weekly earnings |
Third Quarter 2016 |
$827 / week |
Up $24 from 3rd Qtr. 2015 |
| GDP: Real |
Third Quarter 2016 |
$18,675.3 Billion (Annual Rate) Source: BEA |
Up 5.0% |
| U.S. Exports |
November 2016 |
$185.8 billion |
Down 0.2% from Oct. 2016: Econ. Stat. Admin. |
| e-commerce sales |
3rd Quarter 2016 |
$101.3 billion |
Up 4.0% from 2nd Quarter 2016 US Census Bureau |
| Personal Income |
November 2016 |
$16,233.8 billion |
Up 0.1% from Oct. 2016 |
| U.S. Imports |
November 2016 |
$231.1 billion |
Up 1.1% from Oct. 2016: Econ. & Stat. Admin. |
| Private Employer Cost for Employee Compensation |
September 2016 |
$32.27 per hour |
Benefits are $10.73 / hour Source: BLS |
| Sales of New Single-Family Homes |
November 2016 |
592,000 (seasonal adjusted annual rate) |
Up % from October 2016 Source: Econ Stats Adm. |
| Productivity |
3rd Quarter 2016 |
Unchanged from a year ago |
Source: BLS |
| Real Average Hourly Earnings |
November 2016 |
$10.68 |
Up $.07 from November 2015 |
| Employment |
| U 3 Unemployment |
December 2016 |
4.7% Up from November |
Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| U.S. Job Openings |
October 2016 |
5.5 million Steady |
Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| U 6 Unemployment |
November 2016 |
9.3% Down a little |
Includes those who have given up looking. BLS |
| Prices |
| Consumer Price Index W |
November 2016 |
235.215 |
Down slightly from Oct. 2016 Source: B L S |
| Money/Interest |
| U.S. National Debt |
January 3, 2017 |
$19,951,017,689,395.11 |
Up over $1 trillion in 2016: U.S. Debt Clock |
| Federal Discount Rate |
January 3, 2017 |
1.25% |
Up 0.25% |
| Prime Rate |
January 3, 2017 |
3.75% |
Up .25% from a year ago |
| Federal Funds Rate |
January 3, 2017 |
.75% |
Up 0.25% from a year ago |
| Cyclical Indicators |
| Consumer Price Index Urban |
November 2016 |
241.353 |
Up 0.2% from Oct. 2016 Source: BLS |
| New Orders for Manufactured Goods |
November 2016 |
$458.3 billion |
Down 2.4% from Nov. 2016 Econ & Statistics Adm |
| New Orders for Manufactured Durable Goods |
November 2016 |
$228.2 billion U.S. Commerce Dept. |
Down 4.6% from Oct. 2016 |
| Business Inventories |
October 2016 |
$1,814.5 billion |
Up 2% from Oct. 2015: Econ. Stat. Admin. |
| Retail Sales |
November 2016 |
$468.05 billion |
U.S Census Bureau |
| Producer Price Index Final Demand |
November 2016 |
110.8 |
Up 0.4% from Oct. 2016 Soure: BLS.gov |
| Wholesale Inventories |
November 2016 |
$594.5 billion |
U.S. Dept. of Commerce |
| Housing Starts |
November 2016 |
1,090,000 |
Down 18.7% from Oct. 2016: U.S. Census Bureau |
| Construction Spending |
October 2016 |
$1,172.6.4 billion |
Up 0.5% from Sept. 2016 Source: Econ Stats Adm. |
| Building Permits |
November 2016 |
1,201,000 |
Do 4.7% from October 2016: U.S. Census Bureau |
| Other |
| World Population |
January 3, 2017 |
7,362,851,059 |
Higher: U.S. Census Bureau |
| U.S. Population |
January 3, 2017 |
324,321,654 |
Up again...U.S. Census Bureau |
|
|
|
AVERAGE PROPENSITY TO CONSUME The proportion of household income that is used for consumption expenditures. The average propensity to consume (abbreviated APC) is really nothing more than average consumption. Together with the average propensity to save, it indicates how a given level of income is divided between consumption and saving. A related consumption measure is the marginal propensity to consume.
Complete Entry | Visit the WEB*pedia |
|
Fact 5: Our Necessary EvilIt's time to give up our attempts to enter the Merciless Monolithic Media Masters Cable Television Company, Inc. office and take care of other pressing business -- taxes. The next stop on our excursion through the economy is the Shady Valley City Hall, where we need to momentarily, and begrudgingly, pause so that I may pay my semi-annual property tax bill. This is the least enjoyable stop -- at least for me -- on our journey. Grumble. Grumble. Grumble. Of course I hate to pay taxes! But, then again, who doesn't? Taxes are one of those annoying and evil necessities of life that simply can't be avoided. Or can they? Do we have to pay taxes? A quick visit to a bookstore will produce dozens of books telling you how to avoid taxes by investing here or buying this or doing that. Better yet, if we could rid ourselves of the inefficient, bloated, incompetent, do-nothing government, then you and I wouldn't have to pay taxes. Right? We could use our hard-earned income to buy stuff that we want, rather than letting the inefficient, bloated, incompetent, do-nothing government spend it on stuff that we don't want, don't know anything about, and will never need. Right?
Tell me more...
Visit the PEDestrian's Guide
|
|
|
YELLOW CHIPPEROON
[What's This?]
Today, you are likely to spend a great deal of time going from convenience store to convenience store wanting to buy either a box of multi-colored, plastic paper clips or several orange mixing bowls. Be on the lookout for strangers with large satchels of used undergarments.
Your Complete Scope
This isn't me! What am I?
|
|
|
Paper money used by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts prior to the U.S. Revolutionary War, which was issued against the dictates of Britain, was designed by patriot and silversmith, Paul Revere.
|
|
|
"It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. " -- Sir Edmund Hillary, Explorer
|
|
LRD
Longitudinal Research Database
|
|
|
Tell us what you think about AmosWEB. Like what you see? Have suggestions for improvements? Let us know. Click the User Feedback link.
User Feedback
|
|
