Brief #146 – Health & Gender Policy
By Rosalind Gottfried
Long Covid may affect well over a million people who contracted the virus. The syndrome manifests in pulmonary, cardiovascular, and nervous system symptoms which can persist for months after initial illness and may even occur in those who never were sick initially.
Brief #144 – Health & Gender Policy
By Rosalind Gottfried
The aging of the baby boom generation will continue to change the shape of the American labor force. Curremtly,16.5% of the US population of 328 million, or 54 million, are over the age of 65. By 2030, the figure will be 74 million and the fastest growing group are those over 85.
Brief #133 – Economic Policy
By Rosalind Gottfried
The number of people quitting or switching jobs reached a record high of 4.5 million in November, the fourth episode of record setting in 2021. As seen in previous assessments, the biggest changes are in lower paying occupations such as restaurant/bar and retail staffs.
Brief #132 – Economic Policy
By Rosalind Gottfried
The recent union vote, at a Buffalo, NY Starbucks, represents the first success in the company’s 8000 corporate retail outlets. Workers United is the entity representing the workers and is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union. Another area store failed to vote in a union while a third one had a successful outcome which has been contested by both sides.
Brief #131 – Economic Policy
By Rosalind Gottfried
Wages are increasing significantly in all sectors. As workers have gradually rejoined the labor force, taking their time even as federal subsidies to unemployment benefits ended, starting wages and service work especially have seen large increases. Wages increased 4.9% between October 2020 and October 2021.
Brief #130 – Economic Policy
By Rosalind Gottfried
After persistent bickering Senators Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer reached a procedural agreement allowing the Senate to pass an increase in the debt ceiling with a simple majority. This bill passed Thursday and is likely to quickly lead to an increase in the debt ceiling of 2-2.5 trillion dollars, which will cover the government’s debt payments through next year’s election.
Brief #129 – Economic Policy
By Rosalind Gottfried
The economic recovery has slowed in the third quarter and the unprecedented circumstances make it unclear what the indicators ultimately will mean for future growth. It is estimated that worker shortages are costing the economy sixty billion dollars in sales every month. Increased wages are failing to attract a crucial influx in returning workers. There are millions of pre-pandemic workers who have not returned to work. Workers are reluctant to return to work likely due to health concerns; childcare issues; and reconsideration of life priorities.
Brief #127 – Economic Policy
By Rosalind Gottfried
There are positive indications of economic growth in the fourth quarter of the year and, while economists are optimistic, citizens are less so. The economy grew by .5% in the third quarter, and the fourth quarter is predicted to be strong. The October jobs report was encouraging. New jobs reached 531,000 and after adjustments in the August and September figures, the average for the three months was 442,000. October unemployment was down to 4.6% from 4.8%.
Brief #28 – Elections and Politics
By Rosalind Gottfried
Congress, responsible for policies and legislation, and the news media, responsible for dissemination of information and opinion, are two of the most powerful institutions in the country. How do they fare in terms of parity on race, ethnicity, and gender? The 117th Congress is more diverse than previous Congresses but only slightly more than the 116th. Congress is 77% white while the general population is 60% white. Women comprise 24% of all seats though women are more than half of the American population.
Brief #126 – Economic Policy
By Rosalind Gottfried
There are some indications that the economy is strong. The US economy is expected to grow at 6% this year and fall to 3.9% for 2022, a greater rate than for most years since the turn of the century. Economists are predicting a steady expansion of the economy for the second half of 2021. The unemployment rate is under 5%, marking only 17 months to recover that rate since the pandemic started. Unemployment is currently at 4.8% which is down from 5.2% in August.