ECONOMICS
What is life without a sense of humor?
♛
Dead Chickens, A Tiny Motor And The Story of Alibaba
Two men decided they wanted to take care of their own little chicks, possibly because it was a want or they saw a scarcity in cute fluffy things, but came to realize that with a normal coop, the chicks were vulnerable to deadly animals. The coop wasn't efficient enough to keep the chicks safe. Here comes the idea: the men decided that they wanted to create a "better chicken coop". But, heres the catch: the parts they needed were scarce and were only in China- miles and miles from where they were. However, technology made Alibaba, an online website that makes things possible to reach. But, even Alibaba has a catch. With so many producers for this company, and keeping scarcity of parts low, profit for any producer is becoming scarce. Oh the irony of scarcity. However, automatic chicken coops have a chance of coming into existence and are sure to be patented in the future. Hail to the chicks!
♛
Shortage and Unemployment
Help Wanted: College Degree Not Needed
Like my Father always said, "get a degree in what's needed RIGHT NOW or you'll end up like all our College Graduates working in drywall". My Dad always joked around how he works with people with big fancy degrees and they're stuck working in construction for the rest of their fancy life. But now it's real. Recent grads DO get jobs, but there's a drop in them getting jobs in their field. But, College Degrees aren't worthless! Jobs in their lines of work may be hard to find nowadays and jobs that don't need those fancy degrees may be on the rise, but like I said before, they aren't worthless! They have values in the work field and some of them are rising for an all time high. Degrees have cost, but they also have value, even if there's a shortage of jobs in the field right now. Like my Dad always said, "Maybe a bunch of people will drop from the field and suddenly they need you to fill it". And even if it's not in the field you chose, College Grads can squeeze into relatively high paying jobs. It's time to get that Degree!
♛
Household
It Pays To Be A Dad
Being a specially assigned adult to a mini-you means that there is going to be a change financially, but don't fret, because children boost yearly salaries. Studies show that fathers and mothers make more than those who don't have a small minion to protect, house, and feed. Men without children make 40% less in a year than those who do. And, although the mother technically makes less than fathers in a year, those with children make more on average. Studies show that a whopping 92% of dads have a full-time job, compared to only 77% of childless guys having full-time jobs. So, when you're deciding whether or not to have a kid, remember, they aren't always a pain in the bank.
♛
Supply, Disinflation, and Cost of Production
Low Gas Prices Haven't Slowed Domestic Drilling — Yet
Even though lower cost of fuel is a good thing to those who are burdened to use it, myself included, it's not necessarily a good thing for those who drill it. Prices of gas have been falling since June and have been thought to stay down for a while. If I were losing money on oil, I would cut down on production, which actually happens to be a trend for most. However, this time is different. Oil production is still expensive, especially the oil we get here in the US. And with the confusion of where we are on the normal fluctuation curve of prices, no one really knows what's going to happen in later months. So, production is still at it's normal levels, which is a good thing for drivers. Time is money, and so is drilling!
♛
Unemployment Rate
Economy Continues Adding Jobs, Unemployment Rate Dips To 5.8 Percent
Great news that America is heading back into a comfort zone unemployment range of 4-5%. Although it's still sitting at a 5.8%, the rate is making its way downward - with a push of 214,000 jobs added this year. But news hasn't made its way around yet, with voters claiming that the Economy is still in bad shape. The Economy being one of the reasons why I lie awake in agony, stressing over the future and my own livelihood, as well as sympathy for my parents. This is actually good news, especially with the AP claiming that the Economy was also growing. I think this deserves a small round of applause.