Business Economics articles from July 2008

Business Economics archives from July 2008

From the editor.(United States economic conditions)(Editorial)
July 1, 2008... July 2008 will not go down in history as an "era of good feeling." As this is written, the impact of inflation of food and energy prices seems to be making itself felt in core inflation; the unemployment rate, while not terribly high by...

The Fed's new communication strategy: is it stealth inflation targeting? Or is it simply enhanced transparency?
July 1, 2008... Along with the minutes of the October 30-31, 2007, meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee released a summary of its members' forecasts of key economic variables, a practice that is to be continued. Does this change in communication policy...

Subprime credit: the evolution of a market: the subprime lending crisis is simply the latest variation of a traditional cycle.
July 1, 2008... About once every decade or so economists get to witness the evolution of a credit market. In the 1970s there were mutual funds, in the 1990s there were high yield bonds, and today we have subprime lending. How do we establish a framework for a...

Shifting trends in semiconductor prices and the pace of technological progress: is there a link? How close?
July 1, 2008... This paper examines three questions motivated by previous research on semiconductors and productivity growth: Why-did semiconductor prices fall so rapidly in the second half of the 1990s? Why has the rate of price decline slowed since 2001? And...

Economic implications of Mexico's sudden demographic transition: the next 20 years offer particular risks and opportunities.
July 1, 2008... Mexico is in the midst of an unprecedented demographic transition that is changing the size and age structure of its population. The most salient demographic change--and clearly the precursor of most other demographic changes--is the abrupt...

Porter's model of generic competitive strategies: an insightful and convenient approach to firms' analysis.
July 1, 2008... A firm's competitive behavior is an important topic for practitioners, theorists, and policy makers. Among the explanations of firms' behavior is Michael Porter's model. We have presented this model along with some alternative approaches:...

Pharmaceutical economics.(ECONOMICS AT WORK)
July 1, 2008... Much has been written in various issues of Business Economics over the years about the healthcare industry. Yet, and rather surprisingly, a lack of insight exists into the role economists play in shaping the direction and outcome of business...

Detailed industry, product, geographic data from the 2007 Economic Census become available in 2009.(FOCUS ON STATISTICS)(Report)
July 1, 2008... In the first quarter of 2009, the U.S. Bureau of the Census(Census Bureau) will begin the release of data from the 2007 Economic Census (EC). This census, which is now conducted every five years, will provide detailed data on establishments...

Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism.(Book review)
July 1, 2008... By Muhammad Yunus, 2007. Public Affairs, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Pp. 261, $26.00 hardcover. This review is based on eight compact discs, narrated by Patrick Lawlor, $29.95. This book tells the story of Dr. Muhammad Yunus and...

Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness.(Book review)
July 1, 2008... By Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein,. 2008. Yale University Press, Pp. 304, $26.00, hardcover. As of January of this year, U.S. employers can automatically enroll their employees in 401(k) plans with diversified portfolios--without...