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I think your premise is flawed. You completely ignore efficiency, while picking metrics that have nothing to do with prosperity. Our whole society is ridiculously profligate, squandering its future by throwing money after meaningless glitter. Economists don't even refer to people as people, but prefer to call them consumers, and go into withdrawal symptoms every time people start to make reasonable economic choices instead of selling themselves more deeply into debt.
The well being of future generations depends on shrinking the economy to a stable level while improving efficiency to avoid a falling lifestyle.
The vast majority of money spent by the vast majority is government mandated.
Taxes (don't forget the hidden inflation tax, stealth taxes like registry fees, parking fees, etc),
forced contracts like insurance, utilities (most being monopolies), etc....
It depends on the part of the country you live in, as to how things look.
Some areas of the country if McDonald's advertises for help, they get 500 or more applications and pay minimum wages.
In our town it is different. Our housekeepers son is 16. Walked into McDonald's and asked if there were job openings. Manager gave him a tour of the restaurant, and told him to fill out an application. He filled it out, and hired him on the spot and scheduled him for a training class tomorrow after school at the franchisees corporate offices. Start pay $10 an hour while in training for a short period, then $12 an hour. Adults start at $14. Our unemployment level is 3.4% and Montana is overall about 1% higher. Under 5% is considered full employment as there are always some people voluntarily between jobs or taking a break for a period of time.
Our median income is lower than New York or California. But when those higher wages are adjusted against the cost of living, New York is the lowest median income in the nation, and California falls into the bottom 10 lowest median income states.
An awful lot of the nation, has a serious job problem, etc., but other parts of it are booming. People in the problem areas, see things as going to h*** in a hand basket. Other parts of it, are seeing a low unemployment rate, and a good economy with people buying homes, cars, and the things people buy in a good economy.
Its not the problem with the pie not being big enough. The problem is the government taking too big a piece.
Not correct. The growth in the pie is happening on the top end, the middle is staying more or less even and the bottom is lagging. The government is taking out of the middle to directly and indirectly subsidize the top.
It depends on the part of the country you live in, as to how things look.
Some areas of the country if McDonald's advertises for help, they get 500 or more applications and pay minimum wages.
In our town it is different. Our housekeepers son is 16. Walked into McDonald's and asked if there were job openings. Manager gave him a tour of the restaurant, and told him to fill out an application. He filled it out, and hired him on the spot and scheduled him for a training class tomorrow after school at the franchisees corporate offices. Start pay $10 an hour while in training for a short period, then $12 an hour. Adults start at $14. Our unemployment level is 3.4% and Montana is overall about 1% higher. Under 5% is considered full employment as there are always some people voluntarily between jobs or taking a break for a period of time.
Our median income is lower than New York or California. But when those higher wages are adjusted against the cost of living, New York is the lowest median income in the nation, and California falls into the bottom 10 lowest median income states.
An awful lot of the nation, has a serious job problem, etc., but other parts of it are booming. People in the problem areas, see things as going to h*** in a hand basket. Other parts of it, are seeing a low unemployment rate, and a good economy with people buying homes, cars, and the things people buy in a good economy.
Burger flippers don't buy homes, especially in a good economy.
Not correct. The growth in the pie is happening on the top end, the middle is staying more or less even and the bottom is lagging. The government is taking out of the middle to directly and indirectly subsidize the top.
Not correct. The growth in the pie is happening on the top end, the middle is staying more or less even and the bottom is lagging. The government is taking out of the middle to directly and indirectly subsidize the top.
How so? Rents at the bottom end are necessarily skyrocketing. Half of all low-income renters spend at least half their income on shelter.
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