...until they're certain they need more workers.Employers have good reason to wait, says economist Ken Mayland at ClearView Economics. A political standoff over the federal debt limit threatens to send the U.S. government into default next month...

...well-behaved. "Inflation is not a problem, but a corner has been turned," said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. "We face a period of still low, but building inflation pressures, which the Fed has plenty of time to nip...

...retail sales figures paint a picture of an economy that is rapidly accelerating," said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. In May, retail sales went up by a solid 0.5 percent, followed by an even stronger 0.9 percent increase...

...gasoline, which soared by 6.2 percent. "Energy prices were the villain again," said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. Excluding energy and food prices, which tend to swing widely from month to month, "core" consumer prices...

...nearly as steep as initially reported. "We've got a long way to go," said economist Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. "But as they say, the longest journey begins with a first step. It looks like we've taken that first step...

...over to now showing increases, a watershed has been reached," declared an optimistic Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. "Inventories will be a major part of the 2004 economy story, along with a capital spending boom and swelling...

...here is at least so far there is little contagion effect from Wall Street," said Ken Mayland, the president of ClearView Economics. "The jobless claims figures have been relatively stable. As long as the number is below 350,000 it is generally...

...either. "2004 didn't go out like a lion, but it didn't go out like a lamb," said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. "It went out like a cow: beefy but docile. These aren't great results, but they're not tepid either...

...the United States. "The capital spending rebound is in high gear," said economist Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. Even though the fourth quarter's growth rate marked a slowdown from the red-hot 8.2 percent pace of the...

...improvement in the labor market situation but we are nowhere near where we need to be," said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics. The gain of 262,000 jobs in February was stronger than the increase of 225,000 positions that economists...