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It appears that in both the U.S. and Britain, unemployment numbers are still up while earnings increases are still down.  Although the stock market is bouncing around and seeming to tend towards going up some days and down others, the unemployment numbers suggest that the economy is still not quite making the recovery that everyone is hoping it will make. However, although the unemployment numbers are discouraging, hearing news like Obama’s plan to provide opportunities for training/education money to unemployed parties seems like one of the better solutions I have heard. (more…)

From watching the stock market and listening to all the different projections being batted about, its really hard to know what is going on with our economy today. Some days things are up, other days they are tumbling back down, and some analysts are predicting the Dow a 11,000 while others say its going  back to the $3200 range… So, I guess perhaps the general consensus about the economy, recession, and recovery, seems to be that there is no consensus and it is too early to form an opinion?  (more…)

On July 29, the minimum wage in the United States going to rise from $6.55 an hour to $7.25 an hour.  Minimum wage in the UK is also set to rise, although there the minimum wage is set by age group and differs for adults over 22 (an interesting and valuable idea, I think, since it makes sense to have different and higher wage requirements for those who are supporting a family on their paycheck than those working for pocket change or weekend spending money).  Much attention has been paid to whether it is in fact possible to support a family while working a minimum wage job in America (Nickel and Dimed, Waging a Living are 2 examples that come to mind).  However, although the question seems to have been analyzed to death, I figure I might as well ask it again.  (more…)

In the US, we have a somewhat stange definition of what it means to be rich and poor.  Even many of those considered to be “poor” in America are rich, compared with the lifestyle and conditions of other countries.  And, in order to be defined as “rich” in America, it seems that the amount of money that you need to have should actually more realistically be classified as obscene.  In America, rich is not defined as having a home, one or two cars, food on the table, at least one telephone, at least one television set, etc. etc.  Rich is defined as having a mansion in Beverly Hills, plasma tv’s in every room, a Rolls Royce or some other car that costs more than a house should, etc. etc.  (more…)