I can see it now...all over the nation, people in their soon-to-be foreclosed homes will take their Unemployment Comp checks and food stamps and throw great big shindigs.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100920/bs_nm/us_usa_economy_nber Oops, here's the headline. I forgot to post since I was so busy hocking patio furniture and selling plasma to buy more beer. Look for your own "Booming Economy" block party at a mostly foreclosed/short-sale neighborhood near you!
I have some people that live about 10 houses down from me. Both the husband & wife are on unemployment, so they are getting $900 per week between them to sit at home. They just spent about $2k (while unemployed) putting a deck out in their backyard. Why work when you pull in $46k+ per year to sit and watch TV?
I heard some politician is introducing a bill to extend unemployment beyond 99 weeks for those whose benefits expired. No help at all for 1099 freelance workers or small-business people who lsot it all!
BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, expects a "meaningfully slower pace" of global economic growth in the second half of this year but does not predict a return to recession. _______________________________________________________ I have my doubts as well. However, I give "BlackRock" a lot of Credit in their wisdom. I also give credit to the Hard Data mine'd by GS...even though I do not care much for their "Investment Banking Division". I have delt with both BlackRock and GS....so it's from experience, not wishful thinking. I would lean more towards BlackRock's weighted comments and call it "Stagflation". Not Hot, Not Cold, just luk-warm. Meaning... 1.No job growth and tap out at10% or a little hire in Unemployment in the US. Meaning, NO JOB GROWTH on a % bases. 2. Assest's like a HOME....not much movement up or down in Value.... 3. US STOCK MARKET...Sideways into a very tight range for a few years. 4. Earnings....Flat with very little upward Guidence. 5. Wages, will fall slowly. 6. Consumer spending will be very very light. 7. AGI's, inflation. (Consumer staples in other words as well as Food) 8 Energy, may see some uptick but nothing to heavy. I guess think of the Carter Years minus the Gas Shortage. And think Decaded long.