About the economy

Goodnight Sweet Girl asked:


What do you think about the current situation with the economy and why?

Alan

Heather Eagar asked:


There is no doubt that our current economy is a little scary to say the least. Companies are laying off in mass numbers while gas, food, and energy costs are reaching record highs. It can be very difficult to maintain sanity in the midst of such uncertainty, let alone think about finding a job. But with responsibilities like bills and family always present, one must learn to keep pushing forward.

If you’re trying to find a job in our unsettling job market, you may feel less than excited about your prospects. However, you can find a job…and a good one at that. You just have to develop the right attitude, and an even better resume.

Make Yourself More Marketable

With layoffs on the rise, more people are competing for the same job. So in order to make yourself more marketable, you’ll need to perfect your resume. This means, no spelling or grammatical errors. You’ll also need to make sure your skills stand out above the rest.

One way you can do this is by conducting thorough research on the company and position to illustrate how you can enhance their goals. When describing your skills, try using action-oriented words like designed, marketed and researched, instead of phrases like “responsibilities included.” And also focus on specific achievements, like how much money you made at your previous company, and on which projects, to help employers assess your skill level.

Consider Economic Growths, Declines, and Specific Regions

Before you even apply for a job, it’s good to look at which business areas are growing, which are declining, and how your region is fairing economically. For example, a May 2008 Newsweek article reported that finance and accounting, engineering, technology and science are seeing growth, while construction, manufacturing, and automotive seem to be declining. In the same article, it noted that Midwest jobs may be on the decline due to its strong construction focus, while cities like New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Dallas may see a rise due to their professional focus.

After you conduct your research, if you find your field isn’t negatively impacted by the economy, you may still want to conduct more research to learn details such as whether managers and administrators, or hourly employees, are keeping or losing jobs. And if things aren’t going so well in your industry, you might consider a slight career shift, such as moving from software development to hardware networking, or even switching cities. That is if the prospects for long-term employment seem more promising.

Maintain the Right Attitude

In this economy, it is important to keep a positive attitude about your career prospects. Because the fact of the matter is, if there is a job available, someone must eventually fill the role. So why couldn’t it be you? You are just as qualified for the job as you were before the economy worsened. So try not to let the economy’s current state negatively affect your job search.

Under stable conditions, getting on track career-wise requires strong determination. But in a weak economy, it takes more. So take time to perfect your resume, conduct extensive research on your field, and keep a positive attitude. You will see that despite the economy, you’ll be able to thrive.

Charlie

GreatUS asked:


Grayhound offers maximum 100LB weight limit for one package. Moving companies charge too much. I have some items which are about 200 to 300 lbs. What is a best and economy option to move stuff from one province to other.
P.S. I dont drive due to health problems, so I am not able to rent uHaul.
Thanks

Bobby

Ally Wahlberg asked:



In July 17, new car and truck dealers from across the country discussed with Members of the House of Representatives their efforts to perform sound hike in the national Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard. Dealers were urging their Representatives to support a bill, H.R. 2927 — the Hill-Terry CAFE alternative, which would increase fuel economy 30 to 40 percent over the next 15 years.

The talk highlighted that consumers will ultimately determine the success or failure of any efforts of the government to modify fuel economy standards.

NADA Chairman Dale Willey said that there is a very thin line between directing more fuel economy and meeting consumer needs. According to him, it does not mean that consumers will buy these vehicles just because Congress sets a ridiculous CAFE standard. He added that if the consumers cannot get the vehicle that meets their needs, they will keep the ones they have, and that would defeat the intention of increasing fuel economy.

As regards House action on fuel economy expected as soon as next week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other lawmakers have stated publicly that they are supporting the more severe CAFE jump approved by the Senate in June, wherein a 35 mpg is minimum standard for combined car/truck. Automakers would be forced to dramatically trim down the sizes of their vehicles to those that carry less cargo, fewer people, and compromise safety. This would be the coarse just to meet the harsh Senate standard and other more radical proposals. These idealistic standards would greatly increase vehicle prices as new fuel saving technologies, such as hybrids or diesels, would add from $2,000-$5,000 to the cost of a vehicle; or simply totally eliminate certain models.

Willey said that a harder push on an arbitrary CAFE standard and an arbitrary starting date would result to a bigger risk of manufacturing vehicles that conflict with consumer demand rather than complementing or attaching consumer demand.

The Hill-Terry CAFE alternative increases current standards by Model Year 2022 form 32 to 35 mpg. Not like the Senate package, the Hill-Terry bill allows separate attribute standards for different classes of vehicles, such as cars, trucks and SUVs. These separate attribute standards protect the heterogeneity in vehicles that American consumers demand. The measure provides automakers ample lead-time to develop the technology needed in order to meet the new standards, and also balances fuel-economy hikes with vehicle diversity, safety concerns and affordability.

We will see how Honda oil pan maker, will react to the results of the talk, since Honda is one of the makers of fuel efficient cars in the market.

Gloria

Levi Quinn asked:


For decades new car buyers have complained that their fuel economy has not measured up to the EPA estimates on the window sticker. Since the EPA began providing mileage estimates in the 1970’s, it has been known that the testing methods were not reflective of real world driving conditions and are more effective in comparing mileage between different models than determining actual fuel economy.

Although changes have been made to this fuel economy estimating system several times since the 70’s, new tests and formula for determining mileage and, as well as new window stickers, will be phased in with the 2008 model year, and new testing procedures will be mandatory by 2011.

It is speculated that the estimated mileage appearing on window stickers will be reduced in most models, but that these figures will more closely match the real world mileage of the vehicle. For drivers practicing good driving habits and maintenance, they may be able to get fuel economy that is higher than estimated.

Current fuel mileage tests are done with vehicles on a treadmill-like device designed to simulate real driving. However, these tests are done in moderate temperatures without any accessories running, such as air conditioning. The highway test is far outdated, with the top speed only being 60 mph, and an average speed of 48 mph. The city driving test simulates 7.5 miles of driving at an average of 20 mph with 18 stops.

The new fuel economy testing procedures will take into account and replicate three common scenarios that can significantly lower fuel economy, such as hard acceleration, cold temperature operation, and the use of air conditioning. Although some of these tests are done currently, they are used to determine emissions figures, but the data is factored into mileage estimates. For the 2008 model year, the EPA is simply using a different formula in an attempt to make mileage estimates more accurate.

It is expected that the new estimation formula and new testing procedures will lower fuel economy ratings by 10-30% across the board. The vehicles whose mileage ratings will see the biggest reduction are likely to be ones that are adversely affected by heavy demand on the engine from hard acceleration, air conditioning, and cold temperatures, such as high mileage cars.

Many environmentalists are disappointed that hybrids are expected to be among the vehicles with the biggest drop in estimated mileage. Some say this may have a negative impact on the hybrid market, but every vehicle will have the same actual fuel economy. The only difference is a more realistic mileage estimate.

While some fear this will cause consumers to neglect hybrid cars, many analysts and industry insiders see the new formula and tests in a positive light. Dave Alexander, a senior analyst at ABI Research, said, “There is potential in the long run for better customer satisfaction.” This is because a car whose window sticker says 30 mpg will be able to produce that mileage at 70 mph with the air conditioning on, in real driving conditions, instead of at a top speed of 60 mph with no accessories in a climate controlled setting.

Instead of turning consumers away from hybrids, more accurate mileage estimates may allow consumers to purchase vehicles that are actually more fuel efficient instead of continuing to be dissatisfied with lower than expected mileage.

Gladys

EF asked:


I’ve had this thought in my mind for a while now.
I would like to hear your opinions.

–What would happen to the economy if everyone was a millionaire?
-Would it be good or bad for the economy?

Robin

Adrian Adams asked:


The Bulgarian economy has suffered from many of the setbacks that are so common among eastern European countries. It has gone through many trials and tribulations during the last few decades, and there are still large amounts of poverty, and people with poor standards of living. It is an economy largely based on industry and agriculture. Here I will discuss several of the main facets of the Bulgarian economy, and hopefully you will become more closely acquainted with it. It is always a good idea to be familiar with all the possible players in the world market, and Bulgaria is definitely one of them.

As I said, industry is very important to Bulgaria. It is home to some of the most high capacity nuclear plants in the world, outputting thousands of megawatts to the region. Unlike many other countries including the USA, Bulgaria is progressive when it comes to new nuclear technology. But nuclear isn’t the only type of power used in Bulgaria. The Maritza Iztok plant is a state of the art thermal power plant, which was recently approved for an expansion that will more than double its output, costing over 1 billion dollars to do. Other important industries include metallurgy and electronics, with factories established all across the country that usually operate at full production capacity.

Farming in Bulgaria has increased steadily in recent years. Some farmers use it as a way to eat, and others export a good deal of produce to other parts of Europe. Compared to other agricultural economies in that part of the world, Bulgaria has a decent amount of machinery such as combines, tractors, and harvesters to get the job done. Besides basic crops like wheat and maize, Bulgaria exports delicious fruits like apples, strawberries, watermelons, and grapes. The standard of living in Bulgaria fell drastically in 1989 when the Comecon market was lost. The economy crashed again in 1996. Since then, they have been on a steady path upward, and are now past where they were at the time of the crash.

If you visit Bulgaria, you will probably be surprised at their welfare. The name might conjure up images of small villages caked with mud, but this is not the case at all. It is a marvelous country that has had its share of unfortunate problems, but has persevered through and ended up with an amazing culture and more than its share of historical buildings and landmarks.

Tammy

alexda asked:


China will not suffer from a “post-Olympic recession”, senior officials said Sunday, because of the scale and potential of its economy.
“The Olympic Games won’t be a watershed for China’s economic growth,” Wang Yiming, vice-president of the Academy of Macroeconomic Research, said. The academy is affiliated to the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top planning body.
“The fundamentals propelling the country’s economic development over the past 30 years will remain” even after the Games, he said.
The country’s economy grew 11.9 percent last year. But after the growth slowed to 10.1 percent in the second half of this year, it raised concern that the economy could suffer after the Games, which in some ways has acted as booster.
The direct impact of the Games has been limited because of the size of country’s economy, Wang said.
China won the right in 2001 to host the 17-day event, and its economy has grown at an average rate of 10.5 percent since.
A number of factors, such as the nation’s entry into the WTO and the Olympic-related investment boom, have boosted the economy and made it the world’s fastest growing.
To prepare for the Games, Beijing spent about 13 billion yuan ($1.89 billion) to build sports facilities and 280 billion yuan ($40.75 billion) to improve urban infrastructure.
Such investments helped Beijing’s economy grow an estimated 10 percent faster in the past seven years, said Yang Kaizhong, president of Beijing Economic and Social Development Research Institute.
But the 293-billion-yuan bill, hefty as it is, only accounted for 0.55 percent to 1.06 percent of China’s fixed asset investment between 2005 and 2008, the peak time for Olympic-related investments, Wang said.
And Beijing, the main recipient of Olympics-related investment, only accounts for 3.6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
Officials say China will continue its substantial investment in infrastructure even after the Games and that would help sustain the economy’s growth momentum.
Beijing has plans to add six more lines covering more than 360 km to its tube network by 2015 to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity to its suburbs. The investment will be more than what the city put in to build 149 km of subway in run-up to the Games.
Other mega-events, such as the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and the 16th Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou the same year, are also likely to boost the economy, Wang said.
Earlier, the central government said it would strive to maintain a stable and fast economic growth while curbing inflation.
The country, especially its exports sector, has already felt the pinch of a falling growth rate and rising costs of labor and raw materials. More than 67,000 small- and medium-sized enterprises have reportedly had to shut down in the first half.
“Growth is likely to slow after the Olympics” but not because the Games would be over, Wang Tao, an economist with UBS Securities, said.
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Glenn

Stephen Long asked:


Are you looking for ways to increase fuel economy? Who isn’t? There doesn’t appear to be any relief in sight for the skyrocketing gas and oil prices. So, we all continue to suffer every time we fill up at the gas pumps. With it constantly costing more and more money for less gas, it’s imperative that people begin to learn how to increase fuel economy. The following are a few simple steps that you can do to start getting better fuel economy and save on gas.

Start Driving the Speed Limit - Believe it or not, speeding may be costing you at the pump. If you want to increase fuel economy, you need to start driving the speed limit instead of driving your car like “grease lightning.” Every car has a different speed that it gets the best fuel mileage at, but you’ll find that most cars really start to lose fuel economy as you go beyond 60 mph when you’re driving. In fact, speeding can make quite a huge difference, costing you about $.30 more for each gallon for every 5 mph you go about 60. So, not only is it safer to drive the speed limit, but it can save you cash too.

Stay in the Highest Gear Possible - Staying in the highest gear possible can also help you to increase fuel economy. When you use the higher gears when driving, the engine speed of your car is not as high. This will help you to save on gas mileage and also helps to reduce the wear on your engine as well. So, whenever possible, make sure that you stay in overdrive and you’ll get better fuel economy.

Turn Off Your Car - When you stop to pick up your kids at school, turn off the car. Instead of going through the drive through, turn off your car and go in. Don’t idle at the store either, but turn off the car while you’re waiting on someone to come out. Yes, there is a recurring theme here - turn off your car. When you are idling, you lose gas mileage, especially if you have a car that has a big engine. So, instead of just letting your car idle, consider turning it off to help save on gas.

Do All Your Errands at Once - Doing all your errands at once can help you improve fuel economy as well. Instead of doing one errand and then going to do another one a few hours later, it’s better to plan out your trip so you can get all your errands done at once. When the engine of your car warms up, you’ll get better fuel economy. So, it’s better to run your errands when the car is warm rather to do them at different times when the car has to warm up all over again.

As you can see, there are numerous things that you can do to easily increase your fuel economy. Every little thing you do can really make a huge difference and can save you money. So, take the time to use these simple tips so you can start saving when you go to the pump.

Lucille

Gurumurthy Kalyanaram asked:


Economic-development choices and experiments in the last fifty years (e.g., China, India, Soviet Union) have now fairly conclusively demonstrated that mass economic prosperity is better achieved through a focus on the growth of wealth rather than its distribution.

However, there are many influential Indian intellectuals, policy-makers and elected officials who do not agree with this assessment. In some quarters, these policy-makers may be seen — and they may be right — as impediments to even faster economic growth in India. But the caution and wariness expressed by these officials have led to a more stable and predictable economy in India. And, here, are two prime examples.

(1) Caution on foreign capital investment: India has been more careful and sometimes even rigid in approving foreign capital investment — particularly in some areas such as insurance, media, industries with implications for national security. These regulations — though quite often a bit too restrictive — have generally provided stability to India’s economic growth. For example, there has never been run-away inflation (e.g., Latin American countries) or serious collapse of confidence in the currency (e.g. Asian crisis.) And now look at the serious challenges that the U.S. economy in regulating the hedge funds and sovereign wealth funds — India’s policy appear prudent in the context of this.

(2) Focus on the poor, and poverty: The unprivileged and those struggling in deep poverty constitute about 800 million, about two-thirds of India’s population. Simple computations would establish that India’s macro economic growth rate, and GDP would increase more dramatically even if a fraction of the 800 million Indians become part of the economic engine. That requires that they participate in the economy — consumer investment is the engine — which, of course, translates into policies that are likely to favor some level of redistribution even if it forsakes some growth. At the margin, the benefits of such policies are monumentally greater than any losses.

Overall, these Indian policy-makers who have not adopted the market-economic philosophy without substantial skepticism have contributed to a modulated approach to economic development and growth.

Lisa