economy

Mark Paul Makes the Case for Nationalizing the Fossil Fuel Industry

November 14, 2023

An article Mark Paul co-authored with Carla Skandier and Rory Renzy: “The Case for Nationalizing the Fossil Fuel Industry“, sparked this conversation with Len Beyea for Talk of the Bay from KSQD.

R/ECON Forecast for November 2023 shows slow or stagnant growth for near future

November 13, 2023

R/ECON’s economic forecast for New Jersey as of November 2023 shows slow or stagnant growth over the next five to six quarters, with GDP recovering to a steady but tepid rate of increase in 2025. This largely mirrors the U.S. trajectory, though at lower growth levels than the national outlook.

Could a record-high minimum wage mean a rise in prices and unemployment? Experts weigh in

October 20, 2023

In January, New Jersey’s minimum wage will hit its highest rate ever, $15.13 an hour, after several years of phased increases. Proponents who ushered in the increase, including progressive activists and Democratic state leaders, argue it’s necessary to afford a basic...

New Jersey public schools are losing students. Why? And where are they going?

October 11, 2023

Fewer and fewer children are attending public schools in New Jersey. Across the Garden State, public school enrollment dropped by nearly 36,000 students between 2012-13 and 2022-23, according to analysis by the Asbury Park Press. The drops are causing budget strains...

Pfeiffer – Lakewood schools borrowed millions from New Jersey and still can’t pay its bills

September 27, 2023

The Lakewood School District in New Jersey is facing severe financial distress, having borrowed $165 million since 2014 and now seeking an additional $93 million loan from the state to stay afloat. This mounting debt has been primarily attributed to the district's...

American Dream lawsuits are stacking up. Here’s why — and how they compare to other malls

September 26, 2023

The American Dream entertainment complex has faced an onslaught of 82 lawsuits since 2018, encompassing issues such as unpaid construction bills, injuries at its attractions, and defaults on loans, significantly surpassing neighboring malls in legal troubles. The...

NJ job market numbers are out: See where we’re headed

August 19, 2023

New Jersey’s private sector lost 9,500 jobs in the past two months and the unemployment rate ticked up from 3.7% to 3.9% according to a preliminary jobs report released Thursday morning by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. That comes...

Some cities are pushing for rent control. They’re meeting resistance.

August 3, 2023

With rents soaring since the COVID-19 pandemic tightened the housing supply, more local governments are considering rent control to keep increases in check and, ideally, protect struggling tenants whose incomes haven’t kept pace. At the same time, some...

Research says Dodd-Frank cuts interest costs

July 13, 2023

The Dodd-Frank Act's provisions to protect municipal issuers lowered interest costs in the muni market by a significant amount, according to research released Tuesday. "I estimate that for an average bond issue, Dodd-Frank resulted in about $600,000 in interest...

Paul on The Marc Steiner Show – America’s Lost Promise of Economic Rights

July 11, 2023

Inequality lies at the heart of contemporary American politics—from the dizzying power of corporations and the billionaire class to the racialized and gendered dimensions of wealth and income disparities. Yet the question of economic justice, as well as the struggle...