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Unemployment’s Uneven Impact
The U.S. unemployment rate went up again in June, rising to 9.5 percent (seasonally adjusted). Although the whole economy is affected by this worst contraction since the Great Depression, the impact of growing unemployment hits harder at certain demographic groups and industries, says Lee McPheters, editor of Economy@W. P. Carey.

Knowledge@W.P. Carey Jun 17 - Jul 07

Video: Shaping the Way We Think About Trade
The Kearny Alliance and Arizona State University are co-hosting a series of forums in the U.S. and in China to explore global trade challenges and their impact on the evolving trade infrastructure. The first Kearny Alliance - ASU Forum on Trade, China, and the World Economic Order convened in Phoenix this spring. Throughout the day, Knowledge@W. P. Carey talked to the presenters and participants about the social, environmental and political considerations that shape the way we think about trade with China.

Your Career, Our Economy: Stakes Are High When Finance Professionals Let Ethics Slide
Bernie Madoff. AIG. Allen Stanford. When Marianne Jennings talks to her undergraduate students about business ethics these days, those are the subjects they want to talk about. Not surprisingly, Jennings says, the students often take a somewhat black-and-white view of things: Madoff was a crook; Stanford was a swindler; those execs at AIG were reckless, irresponsible, and had absolutely no right to take those big bonuses -- not after the carnage they caused. Blame it on the executives, the students say. It's the guys in the executive suite who can't be trusted. Not so fast, says Jennings. That lesson, she says, isn't that executives have to act more ethically. Instead, it's that everyone must act more ethically.

Expedited Shipping, Done Environmentally
A case study on the green redesign of the U.S. Postal Service's expedited shipping products shows the importance of supplier collaboration in meeting sustainability requirements and keeping cost increases at bay. "One of the big issues with sustainability initiatives is cost, but the Postal Service was able to complete this green project and remain cost-neutral," says Phil Carter, a professor of supply chain management at the W. P. Carey School and executive director of CAPS Research. Private businesses can learn a lot from the Postal Service's example.

ASU-RSI: Beginning of the End of Price Plunge?
Sales data from March indicate that a trend change in housing prices might be underway in the beleaguered Phoenix metro market. According to the ASU-RSI (Arizona State University-Repeat Sales Index), prices in the metro area declined at the same rate in March 2008 -- 37 percent -- as they did in February, suggesting that the 25-month swoon may be easing.

After the Fall: Opportunities and Strategies for Real Estate Investing in the Coming Decade
From seasoned real estate writer Steve Bergsman comes this message: Proceed with caution, be patient and realize that there are many kinds of real estate markets -- each with particular potentials and pitfalls. The Arizona native's latest book, "After the Fall: Opportunities and Strategies for Real Estate Investing in the Coming Decade," helps investors figure out what to make of today's commercial, industrial, retail, multi-family, single-family, condominium, second-home and vacation real estate.

Top Forecasters (Slightly) More Optimistic for 2010
Each year, the W. P. Carey School evaluates the annual accuracy of projections from the 50 national economists that contribute to the consensus forecast reported monthly in Blue Chip Economic Indicators. Based on the School's tabulations, the most accurate forecaster is presented with the prestigious Lawrence R. Klein Award, named after the Nobel Prize winner and eminent economist. From time to time, it is useful to see what these past forecast award winners are saying about the economic outlook. For 2010, the accuracy award winners seem somewhat more optimistic than the current Blue Chip consensus.