If Jobs Are Being Cut, Why Aren't Paychecks, Too?
What's going on? Nothing very good, according to economists Julian Jessop and Paul Ashworth at Capital Economics in London. In a research note out this week, Capital pointed out that while rising inflation prior to the onset of the crisis has kept American wages from collapsing, that same inflation has also cut the value of the dollar, and so decreased workers' spending power. In any case, there may be bad news ahead. Earnings growth tends to be a lagging indicator of economic activity -- meaning, unemployment has to rise a bit more before we see paychecks really start to shrink. Historically, when unemployment reaches 10 percent, wage growth falls to zero. So far, we're only at 8.5 percent -- here's hoping all that stimulus kicks in soon...
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Rana Foroohar is the deputy editor in charge of international business and economics coverage for Newsweek. She conceives and edits a weekly section of breaking news stories, features and guest articles. She also writes economic cover stories and opinion pieces, and pens a bi-weekly column on the global economy.
Foroohar oversees Newsweek's team of global correspondents and stringers, directing their reporting on the week's business news. She edits regular columnists such as hedge fund manager Barton Biggs, Morgan Stanley emerging markets head Ruchir Sharma, Yale professor Jeffrey Garten and PIMCO CEO Mohamed El-Erian. She is in charge of economic coverage for Newsweek's annual Davos special issue, which features pieces by world leaders and economic thinkers, and also chairs panel discussions while at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Prior to taking this New York based position in 2007, Foroohar spent six years as Newsweek's European Economic Correspondent based in London, covering Europe and the Middle East. During this time, she was awarded the German Marshall Fund's Peter R. Weitz Prize for transatlantic reporting. She has also worked as a general editor at Newsweek, a reporter for Forbes magazine, and as a writer and editor at various other national and international publications. Foroohar graduated in 1992 from Barnard College, Columbia University, with a B.A. in English literature. She is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
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