I often hear people remark that the economy is really rough right now and seems like it will remain so into the foreseeable future. I know what they mean: unemployment is high, incomes are not rising, and structural shifts have destroyed the kinds of jobs many once relied upon. Although this is rough, there is… Continue reading On the so-called “rough economy”
A basic primer on Rawlsian and egalitarian distributive justice
By now, regular readers — and believe it or not there are some — have been treated to my occasional swipes at theories of procedural justice. Roughly speaking, proponents of procedural justice locate justice in the processes that an economy follows. As I have never seen a theory of procedural justice that was not impossible… Continue reading A basic primer on Rawlsian and egalitarian distributive justice
College wage premium exists even for low-skill jobs
Most known about the large wage premium that comes from college degrees for those who capture jobs that require such degrees. But what about those who do not capture those jobs, and wind up in jobs that do not require college degrees? Believe it or not, those graduates also wind up making quite a bit… Continue reading College wage premium exists even for low-skill jobs
Non-Hispanic Whites no longer the majority of U.S. births
The Census released its birth estimates for the 12 months between July 1, 2010 and July 1, 2011. For the first time, the Census reported that Non-Hispanic Whites did not make up the majority of births in the United States. This trend has been developing for quite some time, making the report less than surprising.… Continue reading Non-Hispanic Whites no longer the majority of U.S. births
Unemployment and monetary policies at the zero lower bound
The economy remains in a rut. Although economic growth has returned, it has not been the kind of rapid catch-up growth necessary to bring the country back to full employment. The blue line is the official unemployment rate, and the red line is the U6 rate, a measurement which includes the underemployed and those who… Continue reading Unemployment and monetary policies at the zero lower bound