Depending on what TV channel you favor, you might think our economic glass is half full and draining fast, or you might think the glass is the biggest glass ever and its never been fuller.
Reality can be found somewhere between these two visions by focusing on real numbers and statistics. Heres a look at some key indicators:
Jobs and employment
The nations unemployment rate in September hit its lowest mark since 1969, which is good news.
The numbers released by the federal Department of Labor showed U.S. companies added 136,000 jobs last month, which is fewer than many economists had anticipated.
Heres how a piece in USA Today explained it:
Two main factors are crimping job gains. The low unemployment rate has made it tougher for businesses to find workers. And the economy has slowed as the effects of federal tax cuts and spending increases peter out and the trade war dents business confidence and investment.
GDP growth
President Donald Trump two years ago predicted the nations economy would grow 4, 5 or even 6 percent a year because of his leadership and the GOP tax cuts passed in late 2017.
Instead, the economy grew 2.9 percent in 2018. And this years growth seems to be slowing.
GDP growth in the first three months of 2019 was tagged at 3.1 percent, but fell to 2.0 percent in the second quarter, according to the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the third quarter, economists predict, its likely to sink lower.
GDP numbers are what determine a recession. If the economy shrinks in two consecutive quarters, its technically an economic recession. Some recessions are relatively short and mild. The last U.S. recession started in late 2007 and was long and hard, lasting 18 months.
Inflation
Costs for food, gas and other things we need or want continue to rise modestly. This has been true for about a decade. This good news for Americans generally is overlooked.
Foreign and
agricultural trade
For Kansas, global markets are important to sell planes, grains and other crops, beef and related goods, aviation-related products and services, ag-related machinery and a variety of other goods.
Kansas has suffered under current trade policy, which focuses on threats and tariffs. Trump promised tariffs would help the United States reduce and eventually eliminate trade deficits.
Instead, the U.S. trade deficit is higher than it was a year ago, and its higher than it was two years ago. According to federal data released earlier this month, total exports through August had declined, compared to the same period in 2018. Meanwhile, imports were up.
For farm products, the August data show a 6% drop in exports this year, compared to last year.
