By Michael L. Lahr, Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/Econ™) Black Friday and Cyber Monday have passed, but all reports are not yet in. Adobe Analytics reports that online sales on Black Friday hit a new nationwide record, striking a level 2.3% higher than a year prior, while Sensormatic Solutions reports in-person shopping rose by 2.9%. [...]
By Michael L. Lahr. As detailed in our previous blog, there are several factors at play in the U.S. economy which may influence the likelihood of a recession. We discussed the Federal Reserve’s decision
By Michael L. Lahr, Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/ECON™). It’s a tough time to be Jerome Powell. The Federal Reserve Board’s two primary responsibilities are to assure price stability and growth within the U.S. economy, and Jerome Powell is its Chair. As we are painfully aware, prices have been less than stable [...]
by Michael Lahr, Tia Azzi, and Maia de la Calle, Rutgers Economic Advisory Service It is vital for New Jersey policymakers to understand what affects municipal tax rates. In this brief, we analyze local government spending and attempt to equalize effective municipal tax rates across New Jersey’s counties. To do this, we identify the variables [...]
by Maia de la Calle, Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/ECON™) To gain a clear understanding of racial and ethnic disparities related to poverty, it is most important to focus on the poverty rate rather than the poverty count. According to the results presented in Figure 1.1, a much greater share of Black (17.3 percent) and [...]
by Maia de la Calle. Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/ECON™) Housing affordability and ownership accessibility The main expense incurred by New Jersey’s residents is shelter or housing. As of 2019, New Jersey ranked third in the country for median monthly housing costs, after California and Hawaii.[1] In that same year, the median gross rent for [...]
by Maia de la Calle, Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/ECON™) Over the past two decades, children in New Jersey have been more afflicted by poverty than have adults. Growing up in poverty translates to higher exposure to economic deprivation, chronic exposure to stressors, inadequate nutrition, and limited educational opportunities, amongst other hardships. Research points to [...]
Maia de la Calle, Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/ECON™) The impact of the pandemic on poverty and inequality continues to be studied at a global and national scale.[1],[2] Although the U.S. Census data have yet to reflect the full extent of the pandemic on poverty, numbers are expected to rise [3] due to an economic [...]
Tia Azzi and Michael Lahr, Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/Econ™) Introduction This is the third brief that reports data on New Jersey from the 2020 decennial census. The first presents a summary dataset that R/Econ™ produced for the New Jersey State Policy Lab in the form of readily accessed spreadsheets.[1] The second examines differences between [...]
By Michael L. Lahr, Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/Econ™) In a recent article, New York Times reporter Christina Morales writes about the spread of “tipping fatigue,” noting how electronic screens now recommend tips as high as 35 percent of the bill and how these screens are cropping up at new places, like bakeries, movie theaters, [...]
