Are We In Recession Now?
I often hear commentators saying that we are already in a recession. This could be the case because the data always come out with a time lag. The official arbiter of recessions, the Business Cycle …
The Presidency and the Economy
I don't incorporate much politics into my economic forecasts. I'm no better than average at predicting electoral outcomes. Even if I knew who was going to win, I wouldn't know what that person would do …
What Corporate CEOs Need To Know About Big Data
Steve Levitt, author of Freakonomics, gave a presentation on big data in corporations. It should be watched by all CEOs and wanna-be CEOs. It's discouraging in that it shows many companies' unwillingness to use the …
Data Junkies Need “Spreadsheet Tips From An Excel Addict”
As a guy who pushes numbers around, I've been a spreadsheet power user since the days of Lotus 1-2-3. But I've learned tons of new Excel tips in the past year by subscribing (for free) …
Political Outlook 2016
The most interesting pollster is Larry Sabato, who recently had this to say about the presidential candidates: … most of them are human tape recorders. On the top 25 or 30 issues, each has memorized …
Business Economics Posts On My Forbes.com Blog
Most of my work is going onto my Forbes.com blog. Here are my recent posts that have gotten a lot of attention: What's Next For The Stock Market After A Big Drop? Manufacturing Has Come …
Why I Don’t Watch TV News About The Economy
This is why I don't watch TV News. (Hat tip to Eric Fruits, Econ International Blog)
EASC Youtube 2015 03 v2
Join me at 2015 Economic Forecast, Economic Alliance Snohomish County, presented by Banner Bank on March 19. I’ll be joined by state economist Steve Lerch, and we’ll discuss the economic issues of great importance to …
Correlation and Causation: A Great Reminder
We've heard it (and I've said it) thousands of times: correlation does not mean causation. Yet we still make the mistake (and I do mean "we"). Tyler Vigen has developed a correlation machine. He has …
Western Building Materials Association 2014 Convention
The Western Building Materials Association will hold its 112th Annual Convention November 5-7, 2014, in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Bill Conerly, who will present the economic outlook, explains why attending this convention is a must for …
I Don’t Know What It Means: Hitchhiking Robot
The AP has a story about a robot hitchhiking across Canada. This seems very important, though I don't quite know what it all means.
Poor Countries, Rich Countries
My fellow Forbes.com contributor Ana Swanson asks the question, "Would You Rather Be Rich in a Poor Country, or Poor in a Rich Country?" Her article has some startling statistics. For example, the poorest five percent …