Employee-Based Healthcare
Healthcare costs continue to climb, which some say may impact employer-based health insurance. But William
Custer, associate professor with the College’s Institute of Health Administration, told the New York
Times that he doesn’t think that will happen. "As much as many employers bemoan the rising
costs," he said, "they can’t move by themselves without endangering their position in the labor
force."
Car Trouble
At the beginning of the year, both General Motors and Ford announced plans to close plants and cut jobs.
This news hit Atlanta hard since both automakers have plants in the metro area. James Owers, professor of
finance, told the Dow Jones Newservice that, "GM still has a lot of dealing with the UAW ahead of it if
it hopes to see substantial savings. If GM is going to reduce costs, it has to deal with those issues and,
from what I see, the contracts aren’t on the table until 2007." Rajeev Dhawan and Kristen Diver with the
Economic Forecasting Center also weighed in on the issue for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, WSB-TV,
WXIA-TV, and WAGA-TV.
A New Fed in Town
The end of January marked the end of Alan Greenspan’s 18-year term as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.
He marked the event by overseeing another boost in short-term interest rates. Rajeev Dhawan, director of
the Economic Forecasting Center, weighed in on this final rate hike by Greenspan. He told the Wall
Street Journal that, "They have achieved [inflation] moderation with the rate hikes. If, later in
the year, they see prices shooting up for construction materials and energy, they may resume a series of
rate boosts." But for the late spring and summer, they likely will use a "wait, watch and see
strategy," he said. Rajeev was also quoted in The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The
Charlotte Observer and The Palm Beach Post.
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