Less worried about layoffs, jobholders spend more

http://http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Less-worried-about-layoffs-apf-38051072.html?x=0

This article talks about how consumer spending has significantly increased lately which signifies an increase in confidence. It seems that jobholders are now less worried about getting laid off which explains the increased spending.

Most people feared losing their jobs during the recession, which ended in June 2009. But now, despite 9% unemployment, Americans are breathing much easier.

Workers who survived the job cuts of the recession have begun to conclude: ''If they haven't fired me by now, they're not going to'' says Michael Koskuba, portfolio manager with Victoria Capital Management. But people shouldn't get their hopes up too much. Higher spending and growth don't mean the unemployment rate will fall significantly this year. Economists think it will remain at around 9% by year's end.

12 Fastest Growing Economies of 2011

http://www.economywatch.com/economy-business-and-finance-news/12-fastest-growing-economies-of-2011-8-12.html

Many, well most, poeople say that China is the fastest growing country in the world, but that isn't how its measured, it is the fastest growing larger economy, and as we will see that is a different thing.

(the following list is copy pasted)

GDP Growth                    Value         

Ghana                         20.146 %  
Qatar                         14.337 %
Turkmenistan                  12.178 %
China                          9.908 %
Liberia                        9.003 %
India                          8.43 %
Angola                         8.251 %
Iraq                           7.873 %
Ethiopia                       7.663 %
Mozambique                     7.548 %
Timor Leste (East Timor)       7.4 %
Laos                           7.395 %

Deloped countries usually don't appear in the top 12 and almost half of 
the top 12 come from Africa. Ghana went from 4.5% in 2010  to a 
remarkable 20.146% in 2011. four countries from the list  are from the 
Far East, China from Central Asia, andQatar with Iraq being only ones in
 the Middle East, . In 2010 there was only 1 G20 nation in the Top 12. 
For 2011, India sure made some remarkable changes. This is the beginning
 of a larger trend.

Apple's Co-Founder takes a salary of $1 .... AGAIN !!

Apple Inc. chief Steve Jobs and co-founder of the company is taking an annual salaray of $1 .

Without Steve Jobs , Apple Inc. wont be able to be the the world's most-valuable technology company based on market capitalization, mr.Steve was the one who made the idea of iPod digital media player, followed by the iPhone, plus the iPad early last year .

Mr.Jobs known for taking a salary of $1 since 1997 . and he owns 5.5 million share of the company and hasn't sold any shares since 1997 .

And in the same time , it seems that the company's operating chief, Timothy Cook, taking a salary of $800,000 in 2010 along with other bonus money and bonds awards .

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704739504576067693546859346.html

The business cycle

http://www.quickmba.com/econ/macro/business-cycle/


The business cycle is the irregular changes that
business go thriugh ecinomically.
it is made of a)peak, b)expansion, c)trough, d) contraction.
Peak is the highest part of the business cycle ,Expansion is the part of the bussiness cycle in which economic activity is growing, Trough is the lowestb part of the business cycle,Contraction is lowest part of the business cycle,,, some economists count depression which is a major slowdown in economic activity.
Some causes of business fluctuations are
1) Business Investment: made of the innovations of business
2)Government activity : policies of spending and how to use taxes as well as its control over money.


Some indicators of business are GDP which helps to find out the condition of countries as well as if there are any inflation or recession , Employment which is how much people are employed ; the more the people are employed the more the economy increases and vice versa ,, and last: personal income ; the more peoplle have money the more they spend and vice versa.

Teens and blacks face highest unemployment

http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/07/news/economy/unemployment_racial_gap/index.htm

My Analysis:

The unemployment rates have decreases over the past year, but the teens, hispanics, and blacks are lagging behind in the unemployment situation. Teens are by far rated for having the highest unemployment rates at 25%, mainly because they are young, inexperienced, under-educated, and have the lowest skill, Why would i firm want to hire a teenager who lacks certain qualities and is not versatile.

Among adults, blacks face the highest levels of unemployment: 15.8% in December 2010, down only slightly from a year ago. economists say that most the unemployment is because of racial discrimination and poor education

( copy pasted )

"Study after study shows that the white college graduate is more likely to get the job, even if they have exactly the same resume [as the black applicant]," said Rob Fairlie, professor of economics at the University of California in Santa Cruz and a research affiliate at the National Poverty Center. "The only difference is the race."

Revision List for End of Term

Grade 10 Economics Revision Sheet

Pages: Study chapters 13, 15 (pgs. 407 – 417), 16 (pgs. 429 – 439), 17 (pgs. 451 – 460)

Topics include:

1.      Measuring the economy’s performance

2.      Money supply and the economy

3.      Regulating the money supply

4.      The functions of the government

5.      The federal budget and national debt

6.      The fiscal policy approach to stabilization

7.      Unemployment and inflation