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Paying taxes

Research

Apr 18, 2013

Fastest-growing jobs

Everyone wants to know where the new jobs will be in the future. Every couple of years, economists with the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics try to answer that question with new forecasts of job growth. N.C. State University economist outlines what the bureau says will be the most rapidly increasing occupations. 

Apr 17, 2013

The timing of economic statistics

It’s been said that during the entire decade of the 2000s, North Carolina did not create a single job. Is this accurate? Or is it a creative use of statistics? N.C. State University economist Mike Walden responds. 

Apr 16, 2013

Budget factors

The battles over the federal budget continue. When someone looks at trends in the federal budget and tries to evaluate changes, what kinds of considerations are important? N.C. State University economist Mike Walden responds. 

Apr 15, 2013

Why are stocks high with jobs low?

The stock market has skyrocketed this year to new highs, but the job market still faces challenges. Is the trend in the stock market an example of Wall Street ignoring the problems on Main Street? N.C. State University economist Mike Walden answers. 

Apr 12, 2013

YOU DECIDE: Will robots replace people in work?

In the past, new technology has both destroyed and created jobs. What will the future hold? Mike Walden discusses. 

Apr 12, 2013

Factory boost

Manufacturing was hard hit during the recession, but there is evidence of a rebound over the past couple of years. N.C. State University economist Mike Walden gives a status report on the condition of manufacturing. 

Apr 11, 2013

Reforming unemployment assistance

The government provided an unprecedented amount of assistance to unemployed workers during the recession. As a result, there’s been talk about changing the system, perhaps by reducing the number of weeks an unemployed person can receive cash help. Have economists thought about some other approaches? N.C. State University’s Mike Walden responds. 

Apr 10, 2013

An important job statistic

We’re bombarded daily by new economic statistics. Indeed, N.C. State University economist Mike Walden has been touting a sometimes overlooked jobs number that some say is signaling a positive outlook. 

Apr 9, 2013

Do machines help or harm employment?

It seems we have a love-hate relationship with machines. On the one hand, machines help us improve our standard of living, but on the other hand machines can destroy jobs that used to be done by people. N.C. State University economist Mike Walden considers whether machines are a net plus or a net minus for employment. 

Apr 8, 2013

Paying taxes

It’s tax-filing time, so there’s much talk about that old adage, “There’s nothing certain except death and taxes.” But some say this adage isn’t true for everyone – that many people actually pay no taxes. N.C. State University economist Mike Walden takes a look at what the numbers show.