Great read, thx for sharing. I think you really identified a key pain point we are facing in the near future - labor productivity is higher than ever and while it was possible to benefit from productivity as a worker in the 70s and 80s. Today that very same economic benefit does not translate into individual wealth for the middle class but rather into margin expansion, growth outlook and shareholder returns that increase stock prices.
Yes! That is exactly right, productivity gains have benefited the companies’ bottom line without benefiting wages for the workers. This has got to change soon or we will continue to see CEOs and stock owners become ultra wealthy while most of the workers live paycheck to paycheck
There is also an interesting development highlighting executive compensation vs average worker wages. It speaks for itself. I am a big supporter of free markets and the economy but I do believe that in times of prosperity every contributor deserves a fair share.
A great read, it makes all the difference in the world - how much of our financial activities are associated with investment assets vs depreciating consumerism.
That raises an interesting thought. In the 'old days' , during economic downturns we would look to sell stocks in luxury goods in lieu of consumer staples. But perhaps now there's a new paradigm - move investment capital into those companies with more predictable demand. The wealthy can still afford Gucci regardless of the unemployment rate, while McDonalds will feel the cyclical pinch. (Just something that came to mind)
Great read, thx for sharing. I think you really identified a key pain point we are facing in the near future - labor productivity is higher than ever and while it was possible to benefit from productivity as a worker in the 70s and 80s. Today that very same economic benefit does not translate into individual wealth for the middle class but rather into margin expansion, growth outlook and shareholder returns that increase stock prices.
Yes! That is exactly right, productivity gains have benefited the companies’ bottom line without benefiting wages for the workers. This has got to change soon or we will continue to see CEOs and stock owners become ultra wealthy while most of the workers live paycheck to paycheck
There is also an interesting development highlighting executive compensation vs average worker wages. It speaks for itself. I am a big supporter of free markets and the economy but I do believe that in times of prosperity every contributor deserves a fair share.
https://www.epi.org/blog/ceo-pay-increased-in-2024-and-is-now-281-times-that-of-the-typical-worker-new-epi-landing-page-has-all-the-details/
A great read, it makes all the difference in the world - how much of our financial activities are associated with investment assets vs depreciating consumerism.
That’s exactly the point! Right now it is the very very rich that are accounting for most of the consumer spending
That raises an interesting thought. In the 'old days' , during economic downturns we would look to sell stocks in luxury goods in lieu of consumer staples. But perhaps now there's a new paradigm - move investment capital into those companies with more predictable demand. The wealthy can still afford Gucci regardless of the unemployment rate, while McDonalds will feel the cyclical pinch. (Just something that came to mind)
Great read! Historical economic and equity correlations are completely broken. The current trajectory is unsustainable.
D: