The slide in gasoline prices won’t put more Americans behind the wheel.
It estimates that it now takes a 25% to 50% plunge in gas prices to increase car travel just 1%, compared with a 12% drop in the mid-1990s. (Prices have fallen 28% from the 2014 peak.) And it estimates that gas prices next year will average 23% less than this year’s average, and increased fuel economy will balance out an increase in miles traveled and other factors, leaving consumption in December virtually unchanged from a year earlier.
The reasons for this drop in what economists call price elasticity aren’t particularly new. The EIA lists five possible explanations:
People are driving less, period. This is measured by the vehicle miles traveled per capita. Growth slowed in the late 1990s — and has declined in recent years. Before the peak, hit in 2007, U.S. travel behavior closely tracked economic growth; that is less so now.
More retirees as baby boomers stop working. Retirees tend to drive less than those who work.
The trend toward living in urban areas. Those people tend to drive less than those in the suburbs and rural areas.
Teens aren’t as excited about driving either. They are delaying getting their drivers’ license — or skipping it.
A smaller percentage of the typical household budget is being spent on gas, which could make drivers less sensitive to the ups and downs in price.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Best places to retire over seas
Retirement around the corner? Thinking about that adventure you never had time to take....deciding on the best place to retire abroad is not easy but here are the top 9 places to consider:
*Algarve, Portugal
Estimated expat population: 100,000+
*Cuenca, Ecuador
Estimated expat population: 5,000+
*Ambergris Caye, Belize
Estimated expat population: 2,000+
*Dumaguete, Philippines
Estimated expat population: 5,000+
*Barcelona
Estimated expat population: 35,000+
*George Town, Malaysia
Estimated expat population: 40,000+
*Chiang Mai, Thailand
Estimated expat population: 20,000+
*Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Estimated expat population: 40,000+
*City Beaches, Panama
Estimated expat population: 2,000+
*Algarve, Portugal
Estimated expat population: 100,000+
*Cuenca, Ecuador
Estimated expat population: 5,000+
*Ambergris Caye, Belize
Estimated expat population: 2,000+
*Dumaguete, Philippines
Estimated expat population: 5,000+
*Barcelona
Estimated expat population: 35,000+
*George Town, Malaysia
Estimated expat population: 40,000+
*Chiang Mai, Thailand
Estimated expat population: 20,000+
*Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Estimated expat population: 40,000+
*City Beaches, Panama
Estimated expat population: 2,000+
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Signs of Improving U.S. Job Market
Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- More than five years into the economic expansion, the signs that economists look for to herald the pickup in pay that has long eluded American workers are starting to emerge.
Wages and salaries climbed last quarter by the most since 2008 as a dwindling number of unemployed per job opening approached a tipping point. Amid rising profits and sales per employee, some companies have a cushion to boost compensation.
Evidence of a rebound in employee earnings is appearing in certain industries and regions, including Texas and North Dakota, that are riding the energy boom and the strengthening homebuilding market in the U.S. Southeast. While plenty of slack remains in the economy, raises are likely to filter to other areas as job creation whittles away at U.S. unemployment.
Wages and salaries climbed last quarter by the most since 2008 as a dwindling number of unemployed per job opening approached a tipping point. Amid rising profits and sales per employee, some companies have a cushion to boost compensation.
Evidence of a rebound in employee earnings is appearing in certain industries and regions, including Texas and North Dakota, that are riding the energy boom and the strengthening homebuilding market in the U.S. Southeast. While plenty of slack remains in the economy, raises are likely to filter to other areas as job creation whittles away at U.S. unemployment.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
New Airplane Passenger Screening
A new method of screening airplane passengers for signs they may be dangerous is 20 times more successful at catching deceptive passengers than the screening method traditionally used in the U.S. and other countries, a new study suggests.
The new method is based on asking passengers open-ended, conversational questions, whereas traditional screening methods focus on observing people's body language.
In the study, which was funded in part by the British government, 204 mock airplane passengers — including acting students and undercover police detectives — were given cover stories, and asked to attempt to deceive security agents in real airport screenings in Europe. As an extra incentive, the mock passengers were given money if they successfully avoided detection by the security agents.
Trained security agents who used the new, conversation-based screening method successfully detected 66 percent of the mock passengers. On the other hand, security agents looking for signs of suspicious body language — such as lack of eye contact and fidgeting — detected just 3 percent of mock passengers. [5 Cool New ID Technologies]
The latter method is widely used in airports in the United States and the United Kingdom, even though it has not been proven effective in real-life settings, the researchers said.
In the new method, called Controlled Cognitive Engagement (CCE), security agents engage in an informal conversation with passengers, asking them open-ended questions. Based on the passenger's responses, the agent asks questions seeking information that the passenger should know if his or her account is true.
But the agents are not necessarily interested in the accuracy of the passenger's responses — rather, they are looking for changes in the passenger's behavior, such as increasingly shorter responses, or evasive or erratic responses, the researchers said.
For example, the agent might ask the passenger about the people that person is visiting, and how long it takes to get to the airport from where the individual lives.
The new method is based on asking passengers open-ended, conversational questions, whereas traditional screening methods focus on observing people's body language.
In the study, which was funded in part by the British government, 204 mock airplane passengers — including acting students and undercover police detectives — were given cover stories, and asked to attempt to deceive security agents in real airport screenings in Europe. As an extra incentive, the mock passengers were given money if they successfully avoided detection by the security agents.
Trained security agents who used the new, conversation-based screening method successfully detected 66 percent of the mock passengers. On the other hand, security agents looking for signs of suspicious body language — such as lack of eye contact and fidgeting — detected just 3 percent of mock passengers. [5 Cool New ID Technologies]
The latter method is widely used in airports in the United States and the United Kingdom, even though it has not been proven effective in real-life settings, the researchers said.
In the new method, called Controlled Cognitive Engagement (CCE), security agents engage in an informal conversation with passengers, asking them open-ended questions. Based on the passenger's responses, the agent asks questions seeking information that the passenger should know if his or her account is true.
But the agents are not necessarily interested in the accuracy of the passenger's responses — rather, they are looking for changes in the passenger's behavior, such as increasingly shorter responses, or evasive or erratic responses, the researchers said.
For example, the agent might ask the passenger about the people that person is visiting, and how long it takes to get to the airport from where the individual lives.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
The 10 Best Jobs - Pay Raises & Growth - 2014
10. Astronomers
Average annual salary: $110,450
One-year opportunity growth: -18.0%
One-year salary growth: +14.5%
9. Law Professors
Average annual salary: $105,080
One-year opportunity growth: +2.2%
One-year salary growth: +5.1%
8. Genetic Counselors
Average annual salary: $63,590
One-year opportunity growth: -1.0%
One-year salary growth: +12.0%
7. Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers
Average annual salary: $101,350
One-year opportunity growth: +9.0%
One-year salary growth: +3.0%
6. Pediatricians
Average annual salary: $157,610
One-year opportunity growth: +1.1%
One-year salary growth: +1.9%
5. Personal Financial Advisors
Average annual salary: $75,320
One-year opportunity growth: +4.6%
One-year salary growth: +11.6%
4. Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers
Average annual salary: $51,010
One-year opportunity growth: +12.7%
One-year salary growth: +11.1%
3. Dentists
Average annual salary: $163,450
One-year opportunity growth: +1.0%
One-year salary growth: +5.5%
2. Psychiatrists
Average annual salary: $178,950
One-year opportunity growth: +3.4%
One-year salary growth: +3.2%
1. Family and General Practitioners
Average annual salary: $176,530
One-year opportunity growth: +9.8%
One-year salary growth: +2.6%
Average annual salary: $110,450
One-year opportunity growth: -18.0%
One-year salary growth: +14.5%
9. Law Professors
Average annual salary: $105,080
One-year opportunity growth: +2.2%
One-year salary growth: +5.1%
8. Genetic Counselors
Average annual salary: $63,590
One-year opportunity growth: -1.0%
One-year salary growth: +12.0%
7. Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers
Average annual salary: $101,350
One-year opportunity growth: +9.0%
One-year salary growth: +3.0%
6. Pediatricians
Average annual salary: $157,610
One-year opportunity growth: +1.1%
One-year salary growth: +1.9%
5. Personal Financial Advisors
Average annual salary: $75,320
One-year opportunity growth: +4.6%
One-year salary growth: +11.6%
4. Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers
Average annual salary: $51,010
One-year opportunity growth: +12.7%
One-year salary growth: +11.1%
3. Dentists
Average annual salary: $163,450
One-year opportunity growth: +1.0%
One-year salary growth: +5.5%
2. Psychiatrists
Average annual salary: $178,950
One-year opportunity growth: +3.4%
One-year salary growth: +3.2%
1. Family and General Practitioners
Average annual salary: $176,530
One-year opportunity growth: +9.8%
One-year salary growth: +2.6%
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