4/2/2014 Portland, Oregon – Pop in your mints…
The wage/price spiral. It is a nasty economic phenomenon where the labor market suddenly tightens, causing a chain reaction of relative scarcity of output, which leads to higher prices for goods, which leads workers to demand higher wages, which employers pay for by raising prices and attempting to increase output, which finds itself back staring back at the tight labor market, where each available worker now knows he or she is worth much more.
The wage/price spiral, which is generally only possible on a broad scale in times like our own, when credit passes as money, appears to be accelerating.
The tightness in the US labor market has been happening in near stealth mode. While the Unemployment rate remains above 6.5%, the line drawn in the sand by the FED for consideration of tighter monetary policy, what is lost in the data is that Baby Boomers are retiring. While it is true that their overall consumption will likely decrease, it is also true that their staggering output as a generation is falling even faster, leaving fewer workers to fill the gaps, especially in highly skilled positions.
What does it mean? If you are a worker feeling squeezed by higher prices, ask your boss for a raise. If they won’t comply, start looking for another employer. Chances are, by the time you have found a better offer, your current employer will realize what is happening, and make you an even better offer to stay. This is a hypothetical situation, of course, and each person must carefully consider their own situation. However, when this spiral takes off, you will want to be well ahead of the curve.
Stay tuned and Trust Jesus!
Stay Fresh!
Email: davidminteconomics@gmail.com
Key Indicators for April 2, 2014
Copper Price per Lb: $3.04
Oil Price per Barrel: $99.20
Corn Price per Bushel: $5.05
10 Yr US Treasury Bond: 2.80%
Bitcoin price in US: $469.48
FED Target Rate: 0.06%
Gold Price Per Ounce: $1,292
MINT Perceived Target Rate*: 0.25%
Unemployment Rate: 6.7%
Inflation Rate (CPI): 0.1%
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 16,541
M1 Monetary Base: $2,694,800,000,000
M2 Monetary Base: $11,229,900,000,000
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