Economy

One of the defining economic events of 2014 has been the dramatic decline in crude oil prices over the last six months. Prices have fallen 45 percent to their lowest levels in 5.5 years. This precipitous decline, which was unexpected as oil prices stabilized around $100-$110 a barrel during the three years prior to mid-2014, […]

President Dilma Rousseff won a runoff election held in late October with 51.6 percent, after failing to win an outright majority at a first-round of voting earlier in the month. The PT-led coalition retained its majorities in both congressional chambers at legislative elections held simultaneously with the first round of presidential voting. And the trimming […]

A number of factors are putting downward pressure on the American economy. At the same time, various trends are giving economic growth a boost. This interplay, which often is reflected in the stock market’s level of volatility and vast swings, has left many confused and unsure of what’s next. Surprisingly, a number of driving factors ...

Most economists agree that free trade works better than restricted trade to increase the size of the economic pie. By enlarging markets to span national borders, free trade increases the pool of potential producers, consumers, partners, and investors, which permits greater specialization and economies of scale — both essential ingredients of per capita economic growth.

The launch of the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect takes China a step closer to capital freedom. Before the new trading link, officially known as the Mutual Market Access (MMA) program, investment opportunities for foreign investors have been limited to a select group of fund managers. Now all foreign investors can directly buy shares listed in...

Every few months news report claim we’re on the verge of another dot com bust or too much money is being pumped into too many start-ups that are destined to fail. These reports often are greatly exaggerated and demonstrate a total lack of understanding of the current startup market.

In 1701, Jethro Tull invented the seed drill, a machine that changed the world. By mechanizing the work of laborers, he was a major influence on the agricultural revolution. Displaced from the fields by machines, people flocked to growing cities where the industrial revolution, which was only just beginning, gave them work in newly built […]

William McChesney Martin, former chair of the Federal Reserve Board, famously stated that “the job of the Fed is to take away the punch bowl when the party is still going.” A quote from the 1960s, but very relevant today as the Fed voted in October to end the third quantitative easing (QE3) program. What […]

Since August 2011, the value of the U.S. dollar has continued to rise. In the past, a strengthening dollar meant imported sweaters from Bangladesh would be cheaper. In turn, it was anticipated that American retailers would buy more of them, boosting the trade deficit. On the export side, a rising dollar was a curse for...

American manufacturing leads the world in productivity and innovation, and material-handling equipment is an area that has a tremendous impact on productivity. From strategies to eliminate unnecessary steps to “smart” machinery that can communicate over wireless networks, here are the top positive impacts that material-handling innovations will have on American manufacturing and distribution companies.

The manufacturing industry undergoes continual changes and cycles of expansion and contraction. Currently in the midst of a growth cycle in most regions of the world, the industry is showing major productivity gains with the introduction of new methods and technologies. These technologies create challenges as well as opportunities for increasing market share. Here are […]

Animal spirits is a phrase coined by economist John Maynard Keynes in the 1930s in reference to risk taking, which is an essential part of any economic and financial system. Choosing which risks to take and which to avoid determines the fate of economies, companies and investors. In the 1930s, there was obviously a reluctance […]

If a business truly wants to understand its competition, it needs to be aware of its context. It should study the government the competition operates within and the industries being promoted by that government. Fortunately, for those interested, the Canadian government offers many resources to help businesses understand what sectors it prioritizes and emphasizes. As […]

I came across a fascinating article in The Wall Street Journal recently that reported that due to Germany’s aggressive promotion of vocational schools and skills training, the German unemployment rate for young people is below 8 percent...

Like most growing economies, the United States relies on a steady flow of well educated workers. In fact, without this, the U.S. never would have become an innovative powerhouse. Today, the newest technologies on the scene, including cloud storage and faster computing, apps, hydraulic fracturing, 3D printing, energy storage, and nano technology, require more knowledgeable...

Traditional American manufacturing activities are slowly returning from overseas. Whether the decisions to do so were initially based on rising costs abroad, the need to react quicker to American consumer demands or other reasons, many U.S. manufacturers are experiencing more benefits than initially considered. Here is a look at what it takes to drive the […]

Markets that are suitable for manufacturing alone will never compete effectively in today’s global, knowledge-based economy. That’s why Malaysia’s leadership embarked in 2010 on its Economic Transformation Programme, which aims to elevate the country to high-income status by 2020. It will do this chiefly through implementing 12 National Key Economic Areas (11 critical industry sectors […]

As the United States becomes an ever-greater energy producer, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and other relatively large energy producing countries will be negatively impacted. And with decreasing U.S. dependency on Middle Eastern oil, China, now the world’s largest consumer of energy, will become more influential there. But the biggest impact will be on the...

American manufacturers should expect to see numerous benefits from 3D printing as the technology continues to improve and printing costs decrease. While large printers capable of running thousands of parts in a day are still costly, the smaller counterparts are becoming very affordable. It may soon be considered more expensive not to have a 3D […]

Earlier this year, both UPS and FedEx announced the full implementation of dimensional weight, a billing method that accounts for package length, width and height on all ground shipments in United States and Canada. Surprisingly, many individuals and companies that regularly ship small packages have either missed the press releases or don’t understand the implications. […]