All Stefan Karlsson
Will Latvia join the Euro?Latvia remains determined to join the Euro in 2014, Karlsson writes, despite some countries aiming to exit the Euro.
US savings rate falls to housing bubble lowsThe US savings rate fell from 6.4 percent to 2.4 percent in January, and it will take a few months to see if it recovers to normal levels.
Would raising the minimum wage destroy jobs?Increasing the minimum wage would cause some workers to lose jobs and others to get higher pay. But the effects would not be large.
Incentives matterPeople respond to incentives, Karlsson writes. If they didn't, we wouldn't have seen companies make large advance payments of salaries and dividends because they expected a big increase in tax rates.
Currency exchange rates: How did the dollar do in 2012?The US dollar fell against most other currencies in 2012, with only the Indian rupee, the Brazilian real and the Japanese yen falling in value against the US dollar.
Is a $1 trillion coin the solution to the debt crisis?A $1 trillion coin could be used by the Obama administration to finance spending even if the debt limit isn't raised, Karlsson writes.
French court strikes down tax on rich, but it won't save FranceFrance's court rules against the new 75 percent tax rate on incomes above €1 million, but not because of the rate, only because of the way it's applied. French Socialists can easily meet the objections with a new onerous tax on the rich.
Could going over the fiscal cliff be a good thing?It is long overdue for Americans to decide whether they want big government or not, Karlsson writes, instead of continuing the current policy of small government when it comes to taxation and big government when it comes to spending.
Japan's new inflationary strategy: wrong targetThe cause of Japan's deflation isn't monetary, it's demographic. Inflationary policy won't work in the long term.
Is Ireland's economy on the rebound?Ireland has in the recent year come to diverge in a positive way from Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece, Karlsson writes.
Would a one-dollar coin save Americans money?Karlsson explores the economics of switching from a one-dollar note to a one-dollar coin. From a Swedish perspective, Karlsson writes, changing to a coin would seem natural.
Where are Britain's spending cuts?British budget statistics show no trace of big spending cuts and austerity measures in Britain, Karlsson writes.
Six types of European economic trendsRecent EU data shows great divergences in Europe between different countries in economic growth, Karlsson writes.
California now a liberal Democratic one-party stateThe most recent election illustrates a greater shift to the left in California, Karlsson writes.
Latvia's economy comes roaring backLatvia's strong economic recovery continues, with GDP increasing 1.7 percent in the third quarter. And Latvia did it by reducing government and maintaining a fixed exchange rate.
Why Mitt Romney is the lesser of two evilsWhile Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is unsatisfactory in many ways he is a somewhat lesser evil compared to President Barack Obama, Karlsson writes.
Germany: taking a deficit for the teamGermany's overall trade surplus continued to increase this year. But in trading with other eurozone countries, its €300 million surplus turned into a €1.1 billion deficit in August.This means that Germany is in fact helping to reduce the deficits of crisis-struck countries like Spain and Italy.
Why is British unemployment so low?The British economy is experiencing its worst spell since the 1930s, but unemployment has been relatively moderate. The cause? Low productivity.
'Two Inflationary Days': A clarificationKarlsson responds to readers' comments on his translation of monthly changes to annualized rates in his previous post on inflation.
Two inflationary daysProducer prices rose 1.7 percent in August, but the Fed went ahead with QE3. Is the US economy about to experience some serious inflation?
