Cowboy Economics News - May 2008 Archives

High Unemployment Insurance Benefits Employment and the Economy (5/31/2008)

Companies are willing to pay higher wages in order to ensure that workers remain committed and contribute their best efforts to maximize productivity levels ...> Full Article

Green Firms Rewarded By Financial Markets (5/30/2008)

New study reveals that financial markets reward firms for going green because those firms are seen as less risky ...> Full Article

Big changes loom if high gas prices hold, expert says (5/29/2008)

Americans' usual fuel-saving shortcuts could give way to dramatic changes affecting the nation's auto, housing and even job markets if gasoline prices stay at record highs nearing an average $4 a gallon nationwide ...> Full Article

Gas prices, debt sink Florida consumer confidence to near all-time low (5/28/2008)

Tax stimulus checks failed to blunt the damaging effects of record gas prices and rising debt on Florida's consumer confidence in May, causing it to drop one point to 65 and hit a new 16-year record low ...> Full Article

Taking care of business shouldn't be just for men (5/25/2008)

Researcher finds gender stereotypes influence intent to pursue entrepreneurial careers ...> Full Article

Older Workers Can Weather Economic Downturn (5/24/2008)

As the spring crop of college graduates enters the workforce, seasoned workers can do several things to ratchet to up their value in the job market ...> Full Article

Study finds continuing upward pressure on retail gasoline prices (5/23/2008)

With the price of a barrel of oil hovering around $120, U.S. drivers can expect to pay more at the pump in the near future ...> Full Article

Salespeople Should Tune In To TV Buyer Traits, New Research Shows (5/22/2008)

As the official end of the age of analog television nears, many Americans will be shopping for new digital televisions this year. New research from the University of New Hampshire shows that salespeople would be wise to tune in to certain cognitive skills of shoppers so that they don't turn them off. ...> Full Article

Grocery boost (5/21/2008)

Grocery stores could improve food security for low-income families ...> Full Article

Broadband access opens doors to rural networking, economic development (5/20/2008)

Proactive policies are needed to facilitate broadband Internet access and adoption in rural areas so that rural hospitals, schools and businesses can drive social and economic development and better position themselves to compete ...> Full Article

Earthquake may rattle China's hydropower plans, raising spectre of more coal-fired pollution, tighter energy markets (5/19/2008)

The massive earthquake that struck Sichuan province last week may have dealt a huge blow to China's plans for a vast network of hydro-electric power dams, and the aftershock could mean more reliance on coal, more pollution and more competition for scarce global energy resources ...> Full Article

Entrepreneurs value 'ideas' over weatlh, study finds (5/18/2008)

A study has revealed that entrepreneurs are driven to start companies by their passion for ideas rather than the pursuit of wealth. ...> Full Article

Risky rainy days: who plans for their financial future? (5/17/2008)

How much does your background and the social and cultural groups you belong to affect your financial planning? ...> Full Article

Adding up business and energy (5/16/2008)

Can a profit-boosting approach save energy too? ...> Full Article

Gas prices, economy may shorten summer trips, experts say (5/15/2008)

Rising oil and gasoline prices will cause many travelers to take shorter trips during this year's summer vacation season ...> Full Article

Borrowers Who Complete Homeownership Education Programs Make Better Refinancing Decisions (5/14/2008)

In light of the subprime mortgage crisis that has resulted in extraordinarily high default rates on home mortgages, one might wonder what the government can do to better educate new potential homeowners. A recently published article appearing in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management found that borrowers who complete homeownership education and counseling (HEC) programs are more informed about when to make refinancing decisions. The effectiveness of education and counseling varies by the type of program. ...> Full Article

Consumer specialist offers tips for dealing with economic hardship (5/13/2008)

With incomes dropping, lay-offs rising and home foreclosures everywhere signaling a struggling economy, a consumer finance specialist offers tips for dealing with financial difficulty. ...> Full Article

Productivity rises when companies are facing closure (5/12/2008)

In companies that are slated to be shut down, productivity increases during the phase-out period itself ...> Full Article

Programmed death boosts business (5/11/2008)

Mimicking nature could help business survive the credit crunch ...> Full Article

When is it okay for employers to monitor workers? (5/10/2008)

Keeping track of employees could mean the loss of trust and decreased productivity ...> Full Article

As prices rise, find ways to trim grocery bills (5/9/2008)

he rising cost of gas, diesel fuel and other forms of energy can affect the price of many other things that we purchase, from milk and bread to coffee and sugar ...> Full Article

Workers Who Feel Trusted Will Boost Sales and Provide Better Customer Service (5/8/2008)

Companies that communicate their trust to employees will see superior sales and customer service performance ...> Full Article

Researchers examine reality of slashing vehicle fuel use (5/7/2008)

It is possible to slash fuel use by all vehicles on U.S. roads to pre-2000 levels within a few decades, but doing so would require immediate action on several challenging fronts ...> Full Article

As Gas Prices Climb, Employee Productivity Plummets (5/6/2008)

Rising gas prices are affecting more than the family budget. More pain at the pump results in more employee stress on the job ...> Full Article

In a global economy, trust is a critical commodity (5/2/2008)

Professor finds organizational trust is the key to marketing collaboration ...> Full Article

Florida consumer confidence in April sinks to new 16-year record low (5/1/2008)

Falling housing prices, tighter credit and rising gas and food costs caused Florida's consumer confidence to drop four points to 66 in April ...> Full Article