Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Economic Conditions


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    Tracking the Traders

    In recent months, the U.S. stock market has seen record highs coupled with dramatic sell-offs, its volatility fueled by the sub-prime mortgage and credit crisis, the weak dollar, and oil prices heading toward $100 per barrel. At the same time, the public has grown increasingly worried about the state of the U.S. economy. Yet these […]

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    Nation’s Real Estate Slump Hits Wealthy Areas

    Summary of Findings Public assessments of the nation’s economy have fallen to a two-year low, and the nation’s economic outlook remains relatively gloomy. In particular, faced with a steady stream of negative news about the U.S. housing market, Americans are substantially less inclined than they were even a few months ago to say they expect […]

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    Are Americans out of Sync with Economic Reality?

    If economists and real estate experts are correct in saying that the U.S. housing market is not only in a slump but likely to remain there for some time to come, that will come as a surprise to a (62%) majority of Americans who expect home prices to continue the upward trend of recent years. […]

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    War Support Slips, Fewer Expect a Successful Outcome

    Summary of Findings Public support for the war in Iraq continues to decline, as a growing number of political independents are turning against the war. Overall, a 53% majority of Americans believe the U.S. should bring its troops home as soon as possible – up five points in the past month and the highest percentage […]

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    As Home Prices Cool Down, Homeowners Temper Their Optimism

    Despite a record drop this past year in the median sales price of existing homes, more than eight-in-ten homeowners expect the value of their homes to go up either “a little” (55%) or “a lot” (26%) in the future.

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    Pinched Pocketbooks

    Beyond partisanship — and behind those healthy economic indicators — Americans may be seeing something that most economists overlook. Read full article at pewresearch.org