Don’t Be Fooled

If you listen to the politicians, you would think that here in the US we are on the brink of financial disaster. You hear all about negative economic trends that are all doom and gloom. Let me say that I don’t believe any of it.

There is no doubt that the US customer drives the world economy. And that customer is in very good shape!

The numbers are in: personal income is up, employment is up, savings are up and retail sales in 2015 were up 4.1%. Lower fuel prices alone have added 3% to the customer spending power. Job openings are at 19.7% and wage growth is running at 3%. Manufacturing expects to see 2.7% growth in 2017 and 1.1% additional growth in 2018. If you want to work, there is a job for you. All signs point to a positive economic outlook.

So why do we hear so much negativity? News cycles. A protest here and a rally there all draw much more attention more than the dull, everyday economic reporting and forecasting. The numbers don’t speak with chants and passionate rhetoric, but the power within them is real. Careful investigation reveals a strong trend through 2018 for both the customer and the producer.

Don’t be fooled by the media’s desire for a news story. The US economy is the largest and strongest in the world. It is working well and providing for the many millions of customers who are our customers!