Archives for April 2016

Why Is Productivity So Weak? Three Theories That Miss The Mark. My Advice? Read Piketty.

The rate of economic output is not increasing much. Or is there work below the surface that will pay big dividends in the future? Source: Why Is Productivity So Weak? Three Theories – The New York Times The answer if obvious. Here is how to see it. First, do a search for “diffusion of knowledge” […]

Beware Quick Growth

I just read something in today’s Financial Times that made me think about the quick growth in higher education that we undertook in the 60’s. “…Economists say it is difficult for any economy to deploy productively such a large amount of capital within a short period, given the limited number of profitable projects available at any […]

The College Cares About Truth in Advertising? Oh?

Several companies are using high-pressure tactics, critics say, to persuade international students to enroll in U.S. colleges. Many will need remedial help to succeed. Source: Recruiting Students Overseas to Fill Seats, Not to Meet Standards I wrote, According to a Brookings study, Western Kentucky’s graduates have a median mid-career salary less than similar graduates attending […]

Education and Productivity Go Hand in Hand

Once the acute phases of the financial and euro crises were over, it was clear that it would take time for advanced economies to recover. The history of past financial crises gave a clear warning that recovery would typically be long and painful. Source: Slow growth is a fact of life in the post-crisis world […]

Demand for H1-B Skilled-Worker Visas Forces Agency Into Lottery – WSJ

U.S. demand for foreign skilled-worker visas surpassed the entire year’s mandated supply within five days, prompting the government to say it will award them through a lottery. Source: Demand for H1-B Skilled-Worker Visas Forces Agency Into Lottery – WSJ I wrote… To paraphrase, “It’s the flood of certification, and paucity of education, stupid.”  In other […]

More Than 40% of Student Borrowers Aren’t Making Payments – WSJ

More than 40% of Americans who borrowed from the government’s main student-loan program aren’t making payments or are behind on more than $200 billion owed, raising worries that millions of them may never repay. Source: More Than 40% of Student Borrowers Aren’t Making Payments – WSJ I wrote… The $200 billion is a pittance compared […]

A Sad Example, One of Many

After freshman year, grants and scholarships may disappear for any number of reasons — some justified, some not. Source: Why Upperclassmen Lose Financial Aid – The New York Times I commented. This young lady sounds depressingly like another example of what our corrupted system of higher education has been doing to young people – and […]

The Best in Alia Wong’s Atlantic Series

Student applicants are treated like consumers. Source: How the U.S. News Ranks Make Applying to College A Commercial Experience – The Atlantic Here is what I wrote. I’m a former math professor. I taught at an “elite” school – Washington University in St. Louis. From my perspective, this series – especially the final installment – […]