Chapter 51
Anomalies
American economic data continues to impress for a few more months until anomalies appear. Durable goods orders and manufacturing numbers slip, forecasting an economic slump. Since companies fire workers and freeze wages when business slows, the next dominoes to fall will be jobs and eventually wage growth. Workers don’t accept pay cuts easily. It’s normally easier to fire employees than lower their salary.
None charts the latest data onto a fifty-five-inch 4K Monitor at the Resolute Desk. The numbers don’t add up. None looks perplexed. “Unemployment and wages both dropped. More competition for fewer workers should raise wages, but it’s not happening. It doesn’t make sense.”
Shen says, “Mr. President, you can delegate. We have staff to analyze the economy.”
“I can’
