Economic Policy and Labor Market Commentary by Dean Baker
Insurance premium changes leave U.S. CPI unaffected, Dean Baker notes
Insurance premium increases have no effect on the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI), according to Dean Baker. Baker also commented that the CPI often fails to reflect how people perceive ...
Dean Baker: China AI stocks lose 40 percent of value, $480 billion drop
China's AI-related stocks have declined by 40 percent, resulting in a $480 billion decrease in value. Dean Baker shared this figure, noting it represents about 0.6 percent of U.S. stock market ...
U.S. trade deficit reached second-largest level in September under Trump, Dean Baker writes
The U.S. recorded its second-largest trade deficit ever in September during the administration of President Donald Trump. Dean Baker criticized the trade performance under Trump, noting that the ...
Dean Baker: Calpers exits tech sector as AI market faces scrutiny
Calpers has sold its holdings in the technology sector, raising questions about whether the artificial intelligence bubble might be losing momentum. Dean Baker highlighted this development, ...
CoreWeave and Meta see significant declines, Dean Baker notes
CoreWeave shares declined by almost 9 percent, while Meta dropped 7 percent in recent trading. Dean Baker highlighted these declines in a recent ...
Dean Baker: AI bubble burst and recession could slow inflation
Dean Baker stated that inflation will slow when the current artificial intelligence bubble bursts and a recession occurs. Baker did not provide additional context or a specific timeline for these ...
Use a 529 plan instead of a Trump account, Dean Baker advises
Dean Baker advised against placing personal money in accounts associated with U.S. President Donald Trump. He recommended using a 529 plan, noting that funds can be withdrawn if ...
Dean Baker: Reported car insurance decline affects U.S. inflation calculation
A reported 5% year-over-year decrease in car insurance prices played a key role in lowering the official U.S. inflation figure over the last year. Dean Baker said that without this reported ...
Biden brought U.S. inflation down by 2025, Dean Baker argues
Dean Baker states that U.S. President Joe Biden has brought pandemic-related inflation close to the Federal Reserve's target by 2025, while suggesting that U.S. President Donald Trump had ...
Dean Baker: Stock market will crash leaving Elon Musk and Larry Ellison in poverty
Dean Baker predicts that the stock market will crash, leading to a scenario where Elon Musk and Larry Ellison are left in poverty. The comment suggests a dramatic downturn in market fortunes for ...
Stock market decline could erase major fortunes, Dean Baker notes
Dean Baker suggests that a sharp decline in the stock market would have significant repercussions for major investors, specifically naming Elon Musk and Larry Ellison. The comment implies that ...
Dean Baker: Moody's and S&P rated subprime MBS as investment grade
Dean Baker criticizes major credit rating agencies Moody's and S&P for classifying hundreds of billions of subprime mortgage-backed securities as investment grade. He suggests these agencies were ...
AI firm valuations may be peaking, Dean Baker notes
Dean Baker observes that financial activity in artificial intelligence firms appears to be increasingly volatile. He suggests this trend could be an indication that the market’s rapid growth is ...
Dean Baker: Describes transaction as normal for profitable company with strong balance sheet
Dean Baker comments that a transaction like this is a normal occurrence for a company that is profitable and maintains a healthy balance sheet. The statement implies confidence in the company's ...
U.S. trade deficit has risen while Trump ignores facts, Dean Baker argues
Dean Baker points out that the U.S. trade deficit has risen. He adds that this increase does not seem to concern U.S. President Donald Trump, whom Baker describes as ignoring ...
Dean Baker: Trade deficit in goods is higher than when U.S. President Donald Trump took office
Dean Baker points out that the trade deficit in goods is currently higher than when U.S. President Donald Trump assumed office. He suggests it is fortunate for the current administration that the ...
Big money finance types are not into numbers, Dean Baker notes
Dean Baker suggests that some in the finance industry do not prioritize numerical analysis. His comments imply a criticism of how financial professionals may overlook quantitative ...
Dean Baker: Bubble collapse likely to trigger recession
Dean Baker warns that the collapse of a significant economic bubble is likely to result in a severe recession. His comments point to concerns about the fallout from rapid economic expansion and ...
News coverage on declining young homeownership rates is lacking, Dean Baker argues
Dean Baker questions the lack of news stories about young people giving up on homeownership now that their ownership rates have genuinely declined. He contrasts this with earlier periods when ...
Dean Baker: Questions raised about Trump’s financial benefit in Paramount-Warner merger
Dean Baker raises questions regarding how much U.S. President Donald Trump may be profiting from the Paramount-Warner merger. He also comments on the expected settlement of President Donald ...
Anthropic moves to IPO before market reassesses AI risks, Dean Baker argues
Dean Baker suggests that Anthropic is expediting its initial public offering to get ahead of possible disruptions in the artificial intelligence sector. He implies that the company is moving ...
