The Macro View – Health, Economics, and Politics and the Big Picture. What I Am Watching Here And Abroad.
October 20, 2022 Edition-----In the US we have just had the usual mass-shootings last week! Hard to know why the population put up with it. On a larger scale the war is seemingly just getting worse and more lethal. While there is assassination there must be hope!In the UK all eyes are on just when the Truss implosion will actually happen.In OZ the biggest news has been the really Biblical floods in SE Australia, The Budget is also getting close!-----Major Issues.-----https://www.afr.com/policy/tax-and-super/average-tax-rate-to-hit-record-high-this-decade-with-or-without-stage-three-cuts-20221008-p5bo78Average tax rate to h...
Source: Australian Health Information Technology - October 20, 2022 Category: Information Technology Authors: Dr David G More MB PhD Source Type: blogs
Good News on Federal Worker Pay
Chris EdwardsNew data show that growth in federal worker pay lagged growth in private ‐sector pay in recent years. The average federal worker still makes far more than the average private‐sector worker in total compensation, but the advantage has narrowed. From the taxpayer perspective, the moderation in federal worker costs is good news.Figure 1 shows average wages for the U.S. private sector and for the federal government’s 2.2 million civilian workers. Federal pay growth outpaced private pay growth for the decade up until 2011 when a three‐year soft wage freeze kicked in. After that, federal wages re...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - October 19, 2022 Category: American Health Authors: Chris Edwards Source Type: blogs
The Macro View – Health, Economics, and Politics and the Big Picture. What I Am Watching Here And Abroad.
October 13, 2022 Edition-----In the US the recovery from Hurricane Ian, which will take years is starting as nuclear war sadly seems to be coming closer – I hope this is just sabre-rattling and no more!In China there seems to be more instability as Xi moves to term 3 of 5 years in a week or two.Liz Truss still seems to be there!In OZ we have more floods – again – and we are waiting for a new Budget in 2 weeks or so!-----Major Issues.-----https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/defence-gets-ready-for-the-fight-of-our-lives/news-story/4ea89108b822df72194742dc3eec0246Defence gets ready for the fight of our livesAlan D...
Source: Australian Health Information Technology - October 13, 2022 Category: Information Technology Authors: Dr David G More MB PhD Source Type: blogs
The Macro View – Health, Economics, and Politics and the Big Picture. What I Am Watching Here And Abroad.
October 06, 2022 Edition-----In the UK the current Tory Government appears to have totally lost the plot and failed to even move to fix things – a real disaster I fear for millions.In the US Hurricane Ian seems to have been of Biblical Scale that will take years to repair the damage.In Europe we see the recession arriving.In OZ we are coping with the Optus data breach, an imminent and difficult Budget and the new Integrity Commission being sorted out!-----Major Issues.-----https://www.afr.com/technology/manufacturers-turn-to-robots-as-job-ads-go-unanswered-20220920-p5bjilHow a $1m robot solved this company ’s labour sh...
Source: Australian Health Information Technology - October 6, 2022 Category: Information Technology Authors: Dr David G More MB PhD Source Type: blogs
Some Historical Perspective on U.S. Fertility Decline
Vanessa Brown CalderOver the last decade and a half, fertility rates in the U.S. have declined from above‐replacement at the top of the Great Recession, to below replacement rate a few years later. Since then, fertility rates have continued along a downward trajectory.More recently, the total fertility rate —a measure of the expected number of children a woman will have if she survives her reproductive years, and a sum of age‐specific fertility rates—declined torecord lows (1.64) during the pandemic. In 2021, U.S. births ticked up enough to put birth rates inline with their pre ‐pandemic, downward ...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - October 4, 2022 Category: American Health Authors: Vanessa Brown Calder Source Type: blogs
Economic uncertainty is the new norm, but financial insecurity doesn ’ t have to be
I’ve lived through multiple economic downturns since 1999. Bear markets and recessions can be scary. The uncertainty and fear can be exhausting. Currently we are in the midst of battling fears of record inflation, gas prices, an ongoing recession, interest rate instability, supply chain disruptions, insecurity in food, energy, and housing, along with surging debt
Read more…
Economic uncertainty is the new norm, but financial insecurity doesn’t have to be originally appeared in KevinMD.com. (Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog)
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - October 1, 2022 Category: General Medicine Authors: Christopher H. Loo, MD, PhD Tags: Finance Practice Management Source Type: blogs
The Macro View – Health, Economics, and Politics and the Big Picture. What I Am Watching Here And Abroad.
September 29, 2022 Edition-----The world seems to be lurching to be overwhelmed by issues around most of the major powers being in conflict for a real risk of a global recession affecting the UK, Europe, the US and much of Asia. We seem to be in some pretty difficult times right now …In OZ Parliament is now back after the death of the Queen and it will be interesting to see how things play out and what the Budget looks like in the face of an upcoming recession.-----Major Issues.-----https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/a-nation-shorn-of-britishness-is-still-waiting-for-the-republic-20220915-p5bi90A nation shorn of Britis...
Source: Australian Health Information Technology - September 29, 2022 Category: Information Technology Authors: Dr David G More MB PhD Source Type: blogs
The Macro View – Health, Economics, and Politics and the Big Picture. What I Am Watching Here And Abroad.
September 22, 2022 Edition-----We will see the closure on the Mourning Period for QE!! In Australia tomorrow, We can then move on to the next big issue, which will surely be the progress in the Russo-Ukrainian war and the associated issues with China and Russia.The US seems – with the rest of the world – to be moving into recession.King Charles has now been to all his UK Realms and will now quietly let PM Trass get back to running the UK. God help her …In Australia we have to now get on with life and the economic disaster we seem to be facing.-----Major Issues.-----https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/oddly-enough-th...
Source: Australian Health Information Technology - September 22, 2022 Category: Information Technology Authors: Dr David G More MB PhD Source Type: blogs
The Macro View – Health, Economics, and Politics and the Big Picture. What I Am Watching Here And Abroad.
September 15, 2022 Edition-----The death of QE2 has rather dominated the news for the last week or so and will probably pass after the funeral today.Otherwise the war in Ukraine seems to be in a turning phase. I hope that continues into the eventual getting rid of the Russians from Ukrainian territory!In OZ life goes on much as usual just awaiting the mourning period to pass,-----Major Issues.-----https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/what-australia-should-do-about-taiwan-20220904-p5bf7iWhat Australia should do about TaiwanCanberra cannot be silent if US policy on Taiwanese independence changes. Quiet diplomacy is cal...
Source: Australian Health Information Technology - September 15, 2022 Category: Information Technology Authors: Dr David G More MB PhD Source Type: blogs
The Macro View – Health, Economics, and Politics and the Big Picture. What I Am Watching Here And Abroad.
September 08, 2022 Edition-----In the US we are seeing the outcomes of Climate Change really of and running with droughts and fires etc. Biden amped up the partisan divide with a fiery anti-Republican speech!In Russia the last leader of Soviet Russia died.In the UK we have a new PM while in Europe the energy crisis is just getting worse.In OZ we have survived the Jobs and Skills Summit with 36 prearranged outcomes. Stage management +++ in action. The GP crisis is not being addressed fully and worries regarding the Global Economy - esp. China - worsen.-----Major Issues.-----https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/educati...
Source: Australian Health Information Technology - September 8, 2022 Category: Information Technology Authors: Dr David G More MB PhD Source Type: blogs
Bangladesh ’s Stitch in Time Saves Nine
Swaminathan S. Anklesaria AiyarIs Bangladesh, the latest applicant for an IMF loan (likely to be $4.5 billion) going the same way as Sri Lanka and Pakistan? No, the other two went to the IMF after emptying their coffers whereas Bangladesh is seeking precautionary assistance when its forex reserves are still a healthy $40 billion, enough to cover five months of imports. Bangladesh ’s public debt is just 36% of GDP, with an external component of only 14%, mostly on highly concessional terms. But it has been hit by the sharp rise in oil and fertilizer prices, while a global recession is hurting its exports. Bangla...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - September 6, 2022 Category: American Health Authors: Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar Source Type: blogs
In Liz They Truss ‑t: Britain’s New Prime Minister
Ryan BourneToday Liz Truss becomes the UK ’s fourth Prime Minister in just over six years. She will be the third female Prime Minister in the country’s history (after Conservatives Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May).Earlier this summer, Conservative members of Parliament (MPs) toppled incumbent Prime Minister Boris Johnson. First they forced a Tory MP confidence vote on his leadership, which he survived. Soon after, a slew of high‐profile Cabinet resignations made his position untenable.Notionally, the triggers were revelations of several COVID-19 related lockdown breaches and then a government sex scandal in...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - September 5, 2022 Category: American Health Authors: Ryan Bourne Source Type: blogs
The New Deal and Recovery, Part 21: Happy Days
George SelginBy the start of 1948, there could no longer be any doubt: the Great Depression wasn ' t coming back. Instead of collapsing at war ' s end, as many feared it would, combined government and private spending (as measured by nominal Gross Domestic Product) hardly budged between 1945 and 1946, and started climbing again thereafter. Consequently, as we ' ve seen, the unemployment rate ended up being as low as it had been in the latter 1920s; and the consumer price level, far from falling again as many feared it would, rose at alarming rates once controls were lifted, settling down by the end of the decade.Nor was th...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - August 31, 2022 Category: American Health Authors: George Selgin Source Type: blogs
The Macro View – Health, Economics, and Politics and the Big Picture. What I Am Watching Here And Abroad.
August 25, 2022 Edition-----The big story this week has been the multiple PM story in Australia with ScoMo. What an amazing saga!In the UK there seems to be an impending collapse of the economy coming unless some-one takes some really smart steps real soon now.Relatively the US has seemed pretty calm this week – just waiting for an impending recession – along with China and Europe.Fair to say things globally are pretty messy!-----Major Issues.-----https://www.afr.com/markets/equity-markets/every-investing-trend-misfires-as-stock-bears-are-crushed-20220814-p5b9o2Every investing trend misfires as stock bears are crushedD...
Source: Australian Health Information Technology - August 25, 2022 Category: Information Technology Authors: Dr David G More MB PhD Source Type: blogs
The Macro View – Health, Economics, and Politics and the Big Picture. What I Am Watching Here And Abroad.
August 18, 2022 Edition-----The main issue, probably of the year, is the increasing tension across the Taiwan Strait with all sorts of worries about how conflict can be avoided and prosperity maintained at a reasonable level as tensions continue. And hopefully ease.The impact of climate change in Europe is really becoming obvious and worrying. I am not sure just how a realistic response is possible in any reasonable time.In OZ the PM has come back after a week off to have the Chinese Ambassador tell us we are a vassal and to just shut up and behave. Astonishing and serious stuff IMVHO.-----Major Issues.-----https://www.smh...
Source: Australian Health Information Technology - August 18, 2022 Category: Information Technology Authors: Dr David G More MB PhD Source Type: blogs
