stock market and other complex economic issues continue to drag down both the U.S. and global economies. The beginning of 2011, however, has shown market watchers signs of hope. Commercial sales are on the rise and unemployment is somewhat down.
Economists and financial analysts can predict some of these market fluctuations, but the economy is like an incredibly complex machine that’s missing the owner's manual. There are so many variables and factors affecting the deeply interconnected web of worldwide economies that even the most experienced economist can only take educated attempts at fiscal prognostication. Instead of reading tea leaves or looking for signs in the stars, we can look for evidence of real economic recovery. Here are 10 signs that the U.S. economy is gaining back the ground it lost during the recession.
Rise in Expensive Equipment Sales
Any sales increase is a positive sign for the economy, but sales of high-end equipment are especially important. In the technology sector, large servers and other expensive electronic equipment have increased. The purchase of spe-cialized medical testing equipment by hospitals and labs has also increased from the end of 2010 through early 2011.
These kinds of sales increases are important not only because they show that companies have enough financial confidence to make major purchases, but also because they represent a major increase in overall economic activity. The companies that produce this expensive equipment have new orders that can allow them to expand, or at least rehire workers laid off during the downturn. The purchasers have new revenue streams as more customers use their new equipment.
Where did the data on these increased purchases come from? From the companies likeliest to notice: specialty shipping firms. An MRI machine or a huge generator that maintains power flow to a server farm can’t just be loaded into a moving van – they must be carefully packed and transported by experts to avoid damage. The specialty shipping industry is showing a lot of confidence in large-scale industrial transportation in 2011 [source: PRWeb]. Other reports indicate 0.9 percent growth in the manufacturing of business equipment, computers and semiconductors [source: Chandra & Kowalski].
Housing Prices No Longer in Freefall
According to the Brookings Institution, in the third quarter of 2010, housing prices rose in 80 of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S., and rose 0.6 percent overall among those 100 cities. While the gain is small, it's significant because each of those 100 cities had experienced a decline in housing prices for the previous three quarters [source: Wial & Shearer].
Housing prices are an important indicator of economic recovery in general because, for most Americans, the majority of their wealth is tied to the value of their home. It may be an even more important as a sign of recovery right now because the Great Recession is so closely linked to a collapse in the housing market.
Advertising Sales Are Growing
A lot of our economy is tied to advertising. Look at magazines, television, professional sports, local newspapers, Internet sites and the like: We often take for granted that these things are primarily funded by advertising. In 2009, advertising spending in the U.S. fell 7 percent and grew just 1.5 percent in 2010. When advertising spending slows, it cripples a huge chunk of the economy.
The advertising industry is not expecting a miraculous turnaround, but analysts predict a 2.5 percent increase in U.S. advertising sales in 2011 – which is certainly an improvement – and 9 percent growth through 2013. While it’s not spectacular growth, it a whole lot better than a decline [source: McClellan].
Factory Production is Increasing
Manufacturing makes up roughly 13 percent of the U.S. economy. That's significant, but in some nations, manufacturing represents 20 percent or more of the total gross domestic product (GDP) [source: U.N.]. Gains and losses in manufacturing can often be felt more keenly than even these numbers would suggest, since a shuttered factory can cripple the economy of an entire city or region. Ask the citizens of Detroit.
With that in mind, news that the Ford Motor Company plans to increase factory production by 13 percent in response to a 27 percent increase in the number of individual buyers in January of 2011 is a very good sign for the economy [source: Krisher]. General Motors also reported record profits in 2010 as well [source: Bunkley].The big picture looks rosy as well: In mid-February, the Federal Reserve reported a 0.3 percent increase in U.S. manufacturing output.
From:
http://money.howstuffworks.com/10-signs-the-economy-is-improving.htm/
5. Explain (in the original language) the following words and expressions from the text:
6. Make an English annotation of the text (100-120 words).
7. Translate your English annotation into Russian.
8. Give a written translation of the text (or some part of it – in accordance with the teacher’s task) into Russian.
9. Work in the group of three. “Back-translate” orally your Russian translation of the text into English.
10. Find Russian equivalents to the following words and expressions:
improve + Adv.: improve considerably, dramatically, greatly, immeasurably, materially, radically, significantly, substantially, vastly, markedly, noticeably, marginally, slightly, rapidly, steadily.
Verb + improve: continue to improve over the weekend, strive to improve, try to improve their working conditions, help to improve, be designed to improve.
Phrases with improve: aimed at improving sth, measures aimed at improving government efficiency, an attempt/effort to improve sth, an incentive to improve sth, much improved service to the customers.
11. Give a written translation of the following extracts from Russian into English:
1. Для кого производить товары и услуги? Потребители различаются по своим доходам, вкусам, традициям, возрасту и т.д. Экономика должна не только определить круг потребителей для товаров, но и формировать его за счет воздействия на величину доходов.
2. Как производить товары и услуги? Можно использовать мелкие предприятия с отсталой технологией и трудоемкими процессами, а можно наладить массовое производство на крупных предприятиях с современным оборудованием и технологией.
3. При ответе на все эти вопросы нужно учитывать главную цель – достижение максимальной эффективности использования всех ограниченных ресурсов.
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