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November 2018 Summary of Select Trends
Click on the source in (parenthesis) to visit the full article CULTURE As T-Day approaches, here an in-depth look at Thanksgiving’s humble roots, and how it’s evolved over time in preparing this report. The infographic is filled with fun facts on every aspect of Thanksgiving, from how much we spend to how much we eat. (Wallet Hub) POLITICS To understand how American voters are being driven apart, look no further than two powerful demographic forces: gender and education. This was published before the general election on November 6th, so it’s interesting to see how these demographics played key roles in most races. (The Wall Street Journal) TECHNOLOGY In the early days of computer technology, basic computers took up entire rooms. Today, ‘smart dust’ computers that sponge energy from the air are in production. Eventually, researchers believe these tiny, always-on devices could enable us to do things that aren’t realistic today, such as sticking small security cameras wherever we like, instrumenting every square meter of a farm, or filling our cars and homes with sensors that increase both our safety and the usefulness of our most expensive assets. Humans will co-exist with non-invasive micro sensors, and ‘passive Wi-Fi’ are key features of this technology. (The Wall Street Journal) ECONOMICS The global economy will continue expanding at more than 3 percent in early 2019, but growth is showing signs of peaking, especially in the Euro Area and emerging markets, according to The Conference Board's latest Global Economic Outlook. The Conference Board projects global growth to be 3.1 percent next year, down from 3.2 percent in 2018. The Conference Board Global Economic Outlook 2019 provides projections for the output growth of the world economy, including 11 major regions and individual estimates for 33 mature and 36 emerging market economies for 2019–2023 and 2024–28. (Cision) TECHNOLOGY Only eight months after an Uber autonomous vehicle fatally struck an Arizona pedestrian in the dark, Uber has resumed testing self-driving cars in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, near its Advanced Technology Center. Although approval from a state's Department of Transportation is not required to resume such testing, Uber has stated it will wait until approval is confirmed. In addition, Uber released internal and external safety reports. (Forbes) HEALTHCARE Billionaire John Arnold pledges a portion of his fortune to fight high drug prices in the US. Since 2000, prescription drug costs have skyrocketed by 69%. Mr. Arnold is the largest contributor to these kinds of efforts, and drug companies are taking notice. Not only that, but he and his (corporate lawyer) wife also started and currently manage a foundation larger than the American Red Cross that helps take on these large pharmaceutical drug companies in court. Just add this to the list of other healthcare industry shakeups fueled by big spenders. (The Wall Street Journal) DEMOGRAPHICS As companies, states, and locales jump on the $15/hour minimum wage bandwagon, questions arise if $15/hour is too much - or too little. Have you thought about this in your own area? According to a recent Pew study, where you live makes a sizable impact on how far a $15/hour minimum wage can go. For example, in West Virginia, earning $15/hour minimum wage has the purchasing power of $19.04. And $15/hour means $15 in Austin-Round Rock, Texas and Vineland-Bridgeton, New Jersey. The calculations are based on regional price parities, or RPPs, based on various national economic data sets. (Pew) |
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Cobalt Community Research is a national 501c3 nonprofit, non-partisan coalition that helps local governments, schools and membership organizations affordably engage communities through high-quality surveys, dynamic population segmentation, focus groups and work groups that use instant audience feedback technology. Cobalt combines big data with local insights to help organizations thrive as changes emerge in the economic, demographic and social landscape. Explore how we can help by calling 877.888.0209, or by emailing [email protected].
Cobalt Community Research is a national 501c3 nonprofit, non-partisan coalition that helps local governments, schools and membership organizations affordably engage communities through high-quality surveys, dynamic population segmentation, focus groups and work groups that use instant audience feedback technology. Cobalt combines big data with local insights to help organizations thrive as changes emerge in the economic, demographic and social landscape. Explore how we can help by calling 877.888.0209, or by emailing [email protected].