Writing

Vermont May Be the Face of a Long-Term U.S. Labor Shortage – The New York Times

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Vermont May Be the Face of a Long-Term U.S. Labor Shortage – The New York Times

The root of the staffing challenge is simple: Vermont’s population is rapidly aging. More than a fifth of Vermonters are 65 or older, and more than 35 percent are over 54, the age at which Americans typically begin to exit the work force. No state has a smaller share of its residents in their prime working years.

Vermont offers an early look at where the rest of the country could be headed. The baby boom population is aging out of the work force, and subsequent generations aren’t large enough to fully replace it. Immigration slumped during the pandemic, and though it has since rebounded, it is unclear how long that will last, given a lack of broad political support for higher immigration. Birthrates are falling.

Interest Rates on Hold and Powell Speaks About Decision – The New York Times

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Fed Meeting Live News: Interest Rates on Hold and Powell Speaks About Decision – The New York Times

The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday while leaving the door open to a future increase, a cautious stance at a time when rapid inflation is retreating but is not yet vanquished.

Rates have been on hold in a range of 5.25 to 5.5 percent since July, up from near-zero as recently as March 2022. Policymakers think that borrowing costs are now high enough to weigh on economic growth if they are kept at this level over time.

By cooling demand, the Fed is hoping to prod companies to raise prices less quickly. While the economy has held up so far — growth was unusually strong this summer — inflation has come down since 2022. Overall price increases decelerated to 3.4 percent as of September, down from above 7 percent at their peak.

Those Annoying Banner Ads on the Bottom Weren’t Intentional

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Not realizing the impact of my actions, I accidentially turned on Google Ads Experiments which lead to 50% of page loads including those floating banner ads on the bottom. I find them incredibly annoying, and have turned them off. While I wouldn’t mind the extra 5% in ad revenue month, I am not going to go that far to uglify my blog for an extra $4 a month.