New business cycle indexes for Mexico point to economic expansion

Business cycles ; Mexico

The development and uses of regional indexes of leading economic indicators

Economic indicators ; Regional economics

A new monthly index of the Texas business cycle

The timing, length and severity of economic recessions and expansions in a state are important to businesses seeking to set up operations or expand in those areas. Given a limited amount of data at the state level and their sometimes inconsistent movements, it is not straight forward to define a state business cycle. In this article I attempt to measure the Texas business cycle using a technique developed by Stock and Watson (1989,1991) that statistically estimates the underlying comovement in broad indicators of the state’s economy. The new Texas Coincident Index (TCI) is constructed with the Texas unemployment rate, a quarterly Real Gross State Product measure due to Berger and Phillips (1995), and a nonfarm employment series that is benchmarked quarterly and is seasonally adjusted using the two-step approach described in Berger and Phillips (1993). Use of these components and the Kalman filter, which smoothes across variables as well as over time, results in an index which is much smoother and gives clearer signals of turning points than the old TCI produced by Phillips (1988). The new TCI exhibits cyclical patterns that are highly correlated with those of employment and RGSP, and matches well with recessions and expansions that were independently identified.Index numbers (Economics)

"A step into the abyss" Transmedia in the UK Games and Television Industries

This article uses a media industries studies perspective to investigate the current state of transmedia production in the UK. Analysing the discursive statements of a range of industry participants from both UK television and games industries, the article reveals a series of contradictions and misunderstandings that may be limiting the effectiveness of multi-platform projects. By comparing overlapping discursive patterns around attitudes to risk, measures of success, authorship between the two industries, and repeated concerns over the balance of creative and commercial imperatives, the article argues that existing hierarchies of power between media industries threaten to derail future convergence

Transportation infrastructure and the border economy

Trade ; Imports ; Exports ; Employment (Economic theory) ; North American Free Trade Agreement

Spotlight: border health care: booming industry creates jobs faster than state

The Texas cities along the Mexican border have sustained relatively strong job growth in recent years. A key factor has been a booming health care industry, driven by rising population and the large share of the population covered by government-sponsored health insurance.Economic conditions - Texas ; Employment - Texas

Beyond the border : Border bottlenecks hamper trade

Mexico ; North American Free Trade Agreement ; Texas ; Trade

Texas economy to ride higher in the saddle in 2011

The Texas economy grew moderately in 2010, outperforming most other states. Jobs increased by 209,000, a growth rate of about 2 percent—near the state’s average pace since 1980. Strength in the high-tech and energy sectors was an important source of Texas’ economic might relative to other parts of the country. The state also suffered less from housing price declines. ; Leading indicators, generally positive at the end of 2010, suggest an improving outlook in 2011 as consumers and businesses regain confidence in the economy. The Dallas Fed forecasting model projects Texas job growth of 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent this year.>Economic conditions - Texas ; Economic indicators

Border region makes progress in the 1990s

North American Free Trade Agreement ; Employment - Texas ; Income

Regional update : U.S. slowdown reaches Texas

Economic conditions - Texas ; Recessions