Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Over the last year a number of you have pointed out the odd typo or two in my Sunday note. For example, one eagle eyed reader in Brazil registered that I had written ‘South China Sean’ rather than ‘South China Sea’, which is a Freudian slip of sorts. The real reason the quality of the note may have slipped is that this time last year my ‘editor’ Nicholas Benachi, passed away. In addition to being a good friend, he made sure that the logic and quality of the note were up to scratch. One of his favourite greetings and ‘sign-offs’ was ‘Strength and Honour’, which may have been inspired by his love of bushido and his family’s ties to Greece, not to mention a sweeping appreciation of history. It is a phrase that comes to mind more and more often in a world where the moral pendulum is swinging wildly, and I often find myself using it as a maxim to scrutinise people, places and projects. Here are a few examples. Strength … [Read more...] about What Makes Economies Strong?
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Lies, Damn Lies, Payroll Data
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The big spike in the Payroll data (+517K) was out of kilter with what has been occurring in the rest of the economy and in other labor market data. Financial markets always shoot first and ask questions later, so, on Friday, equity markets fell and bond yields rose on the fear that the Fed would now have a great excuse to raise interest rates even further than what was already priced in. The far-right hand sides of the above charts show the violent up spikes in the yields of the 10-Yr. and 2-Yr. T-Notes on Friday (February 3). As reported by various reliable sources with deep research capabilities, most or all of the +517K job gains wasn’t due to new job creation, but to benchmark revisions, seasonal adjustments, and population controls , all keywords for what we can only describe as statistical magic . Morgan Stanley MS concluded that without the population adjustments, the Household Survey (which was up an even … [Read more...] about Lies, Damn Lies, Payroll Data
Reflections on Marcos’ 1st 6 months
ILLUSTRATION BY ALBERT RODRIGUEZ It’s been six months since President Marcos was sworn into office. If we liken Mr. Marcos’ six-year term to the well-loved game of basketball, we are now in the second half of the first of six games. The first half of Game 1 was filled with many challenges. A Pulse Asia survey last September 2022 showed that the top concerns of Filipinos are controlling inflation, increasing the pay of workers and creating more jobs. Unfortunately, these continue to burden Filipinos into halftime of Game 1. Before the first “game” ends on June 30, 2023, we’d like to share some of the administration’s notable wins during its first six months and some reflections on how to sustain the fight against these challenges. Wins First among Mr. Marcos’ wins is the appointment of credible and experienced economic managers. This means that we have a strong team to overcome the pandemic’s lingering effects on the economy. Second, several executive actions were made … [Read more...] about Reflections on Marcos’ 1st 6 months
FM Nirmala Sitharaman Interview: Moving to old pension scheme is unwise
Under NPS, employees have to make regular investments. Amid some states moving to old pension scheme, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman cautioned against the move, saying that states might be paying the current generation of pensioners by loading it onto the future generations. The minister was speaking to Rahul Joshi, Group Editor, Network18 Group in an exclusive interview. Recently, the Punjab government said it was considering reverting to the old pension scheme, or OPS, for its employees. If the proposal goes through, Punjab will be the third state to have reverted to the OPS after Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Even Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently said that the state was “not negative” about OPS. “We should look at a reasonable balance and what we are leaving for generations to come. Yes, you need to borrow for the economy to run, but unless we have a complete understanding of the fiscal health of the state, for not just today but future … [Read more...] about FM Nirmala Sitharaman Interview: Moving to old pension scheme is unwise
Tracker: Media Layoffs, Furloughs And Pay Cuts Due To Coronavirus
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Even as media consumption skyrockets due to the COVID-19 outbreak, publishers are struggling as advertisers pare back their spending. Hundreds of journalists have already been laid off or furloughed, with more bad news expected in the coming weeks and months. Some outlets, like the Tampa Bay Times , say the cost-saving measures are intended to be temporary. Others, like The Outline, have shuttered entirely. Below is a list of major media companies (in alphabetical order) who have imposed layoffs, furloughs or pay cuts. Forbes will continue to revise this list as updates come in . ADVERTISEMENT Last updated May 29 at 7:30 pm EDT. American Media: The tabloid publisher, whose portfolio includes Us Weekly and In Touch (and previously the National Enquirer ), will reportedly cut employee salaries by 23%. Boston Herald: The paper laid off at least a half-dozen positions, including on its … [Read more...] about Tracker: Media Layoffs, Furloughs And Pay Cuts Due To Coronavirus