Tagged: Economy

Twenty-three hundred jobs were added to New Hampshire payrolls between April and May, but the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remains stuck at 5%.

There was good news for Coos County: the North Country’s rate dipped below 8% for the first time this year.

Grafton County has the State’s lowest unemployment at 4.1%.

All in all, the data met expectations, says Bob Cote, a researcher with NH Employment Security.

With the focus on Europe’s economic woes and China’s clout, it’s easy to overlook that our nation’s largest geographic border, Canada, is also our largest trading partner.  Although, it works well most of the time, there are some tensions, like  over duty-free status, controversial energy projects, and imbalances in tourism traffic.  We’ll look at how these issues affect the bottom dollar in both countries. 

Guests

Even though the Housing Market seems to be stabilizing, foreclosures are still a major problem.  Some homeowners, who have tried to negotiate with banks are now going to court, saying they’ve not been able to get any clarity.  Meanwhile,  Lenders say they are making efforts, as they still are wading through an unprecedented number of troubled mortgages.  We'll look how foreclosures are fairing in the Granite State.

Guests

When the recession began, Americans started pinching their pennies and repaying debt, causing some to speculate that consumers might permanently abandon their free-spending ways.  But now, Americans are again loosening their purse-strings. We’ll  look at how and why our saving habits change and how these variations affect the larger economy. 

Guests

With looming debate over the  federal debt and deficits, a recent government report warns the U.S. could fall over a “fiscal cliff", and quite possibly slip back into recession.  On top of that, job growth has been uninspiring and across the pond, European economies remain shaky.  We’ll look at these new fiscal rumblings…and how we may feel them in New Hampshire.

Guests

When Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman hit Broadway and swept the Tony’s in 1949, it was a middle-class masterpiece – a transformative play that could bring even stoic-factory workers and tough-love fathers to tears. These days, the price of a ticket for the Broadway revival may be as out of reach for the average American family as a pro sports career was for Biff. 

What just happened?

JPMorgan Chase, the biggest bank in America, announced that it lost $2 billion on a massive trade placed out of its London office.

What was the trade?

Welfare changes in the 1990s helped slash cash benefit rolls, yet the use of food stamps is soaring today. About 15 percent of Americans use food stamps. The program has become what some call the new welfare.

A big reason why is a deal struck between President Clinton and the Republican-controlled Congress in 1996. At that time, the number of Americans who received cash payments — what's often thought of as welfare — was at an all-time high.