Assorted Links Sunday

US growth is outpacing China’s for first time since 1976: Despite high inflation, the US is being propelled by strong hiring and consumer spending.

US food inflation is poised to worsen as evidence suggests that consumers have been shielded from the full brunt of soaring costs. Comparing the producer and consumer price indices suggests that pent-up inflation in the production and distribution pipeline will continue to filter through to consumer prices.

Employees are bringing their comfy pants to the office: Fashion has changed over the last two years, but what’s still undetermined is how companies will develop future dress codes.

Check out how fast you can read the text on the right with the bolded letters!

Text on left: Normal text.
​Text on right: “Bionic Reading” text with specifically bolded letters.

Your dog is not ready for you to return to the office: Pets (and their owners) prepare for the inevitable.

All of those quitters? They’re at work: The Great Resignation was in fact a moment many people traded up for a better-paying gig.

Life is a game. Teach your kids poker, not chess.

LinkedIn has published new pocket guide to effective employer branding: The 8-page guide includes notes on what types of content can help to boost appeal to potential candidates at different stages of the journey.

Americans bullish on 3D printing, VR: Not so much on the Metaverse and NFTs:

Regional housing markets are beginning to look like they did in 2007:

How TikTok used science to grow fast.

🔥 The prospects for geothermal energy are heating up: A recent Wall Street presentation by key startups has boosted optimism about this emerging sector.

Giant container ships are ruining everything: We can blame the Big Boat Era for many of our supply chain headaches.

Why the stock market needs to crash:

Anyone who has paid attention to stocks has noticed a pretty vicious downturn over the last six months... And yet, while it’s painful and sad, this collapse, in many ways, can’t come soon enough. The drop in the markets is necessary.

As economist John Maynard Keynes wryly put it, “When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done.” That’s where we are now.

Animated chart: World’s top 10 billionaires, 2000 to 2022.  Click the chart for the animated version.

What’s your rate of inflation?  Inflation is at the highest level in four decades. But how you experience it can vary greatly depending on what you eat, how much you travel and your other spending habits. Answer seven questions to estimate your personal inflation rate.

Rural rising: New research highlights key themes around economic development opportunities for smaller communities, with an emphasis on work flexibility and a need for reliable broadband.

How to create a void analysis:

A void analysis identifies gaps for businesses in a market. In other words, you can determine what chains are missing in a market, which will help you recruit the right kinds of businesses to fill your vacant location.

Wage pressure, and other job ad trends:

Why America has so few carpenters: The Great Recession led to a carpenter exodus. But cultural and pay issues have stunted the profession’s growth for far longer.

How a basket on wheels revolutionized grocery shopping: And yet, when it was introduced, the shopping cart was a complete flop.

See also, How the Shopping Cart Explains Global Consumerism.