Economic Pulse: Recent Episodes
WDIY 88.1 FM
Dr. Kamran Afshar presents a synopsis of the week's economic news with a detailed look at trends in the Lehigh Valley and the nation. Listen to Economic Pulse Fridays at 5:44 PM during All Things Considered, and Mondays at 7:30 AM during Morning Edition.
Gasoline prices dropped well below last year's level. Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Inflation and interest rates... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Payroll employment in the Valley is at a record high. Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
What’s next for the housing market? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
DJIA rose by 10% in the first 8 months of this year. Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
The Lehigh Valley business sentiment is in a shallow down-trend. Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Inflation below 3%... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
The Growth Rate of Retail Sales Has Slowed. Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
The GDP is up by a whopping 2.8%. Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
May employment exceeded 400,000 in the Valley, a record high. Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Inflation was negative in June. Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
The housing market has stalled. Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Federal Reserves is holding its lending rate constant. Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
DJIA rose by 3% in the first 5 months of this year. Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Inflation is at 3.3%. Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Is the US economy in a recession? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Retail Sales adjusting down from inflationary levels... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Car Sales in the US... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
The Lehigh Valley business sentiment is in a shallow up-trend. Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Employment in the Valley is at 397,000, a record high. Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Federal Reserves is holding its lending rate constant... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
The GDP up 1.6%... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
The Consumer sentiment index is zooming up... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Gasoline prices highest for the year... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Are we leaving this $34 trillion and rising national debt to our children to pay? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Inflation is at 3.2%... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
How does business borrowing affect the economy? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Retail Sales are finding a new normal... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
What direction is the real estate market headed? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Employment in the Valley rose above 400,000... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Car Sales in the US... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
How have our expenditure patterns changed in the last half a century? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
The Lehigh Valley business sentiment trend shows a slight improvement... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
The Consumer sentiment index zoomed up... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
The GDP up 3.3%... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Is the housing boom behind us? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
2023 year in review... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Consumer sentiment index jumped 14% in December... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Employment in the Valley at 397,000, a record high... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
What is the state of the economy? Dr Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at car sales in the U.S. and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
Cyber week sales hit a record high... Dr Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of this week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and nation.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 4% in the first eight months of this year... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Payroll employment rose by 187,000 in August... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
What happened to the housing boom? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Monthly inflation rose by two-tenths of one percent in July... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The Lehigh Valley Business Sentiment Index has been dropping since mid-2022... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The Consumer Sentiment Index vaulted 11% in July... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
How have our expenditure patterns changed since 1950? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Are we using less electricity? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
How does the Federal Reserve influence the economy? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
What happened to manufacturing? Are we producing anything anymore? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Would a tax cut help reduce the national debt? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
How has the labor force and employment changed in this century? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Car sales in the US...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Employment in the Valley rose to 392,000, the highest ever number... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Payroll employment rose by 339,000 in May... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Business borrowing, how does it affect the economy? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Our national debt is now larger than our GDP. Is it possible to reduce that debt? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Monthly inflation in April rose by 0.4%... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The Lehigh Valley business sentiment index is trending flat... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The economy grew by 1.1% in the 1st quarter of 2023... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The Consumer sentiment index is trending up... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Inflation dropped to 5% in March... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Employment in the Valley rose to 391,000, its highest ever number... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
We are using less electricity... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Monthly inflation in February rose by 0.4... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Are we on the verge of a financial crisis? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Retail sales continue to rise... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Car sales in the U.S.... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Are we done with the housing boom? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Monthly inflation in January rose half a percent... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Payroll employment rose by more than half a million in January... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The Lehigh Valley Business Sentiment Index rose by 2.8% in January... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The GDP rose by 2.9% in the 4th quarter of 2022... Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
National debt, as a percent of the GDP, is dropping from its record high in 2020...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Monthly inflation in December dropped to negative one-tenth of 1%...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The unemployment rate dropped to 3.5% in December...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
2022 year in review...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Gross Domestic Product rose by a significant 3.2% in the third quarter...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Monthly inflation in November rose by 0.1%, lower than expected...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Rapidly rising mortgage rates have put a damper on the housing market...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The period of time from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday saw a resurgence of retail sales...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Gasoline prices are down from last summer’s record high...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Retail sales rose higher than expected in October...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Monthly inflation in October at 0.4%, lower than expected...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The Lehigh Valley Business Sentiment Index leveled off in October after its big drop in July...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The advanced estimate of the 3rd quarter GDP at 2.6% is well above exceptions...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The state of the economy...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Monthly inflation in September at 0.4% higher than August...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Employment in the Valley at 435,000, the highest ever...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Rapidly rising mortgage rates are putting a damper on the housing market...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The Federal Reserve raised its lending rate by another 75 basis points...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Monthly inflation at one-tenth of one percent in August...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Real Retail Sales rose by 1.7% over last year's level in July...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
How does the Federal Reserve influence the economy? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
What happened to manufacturing? Are we producing anything anymore? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The total number of jobs in the Valley rose above its pre-pandemic high in June...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Monthly inflation, negative for the first time since May of last year...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The Lehigh Valley business sentiment index fell by a large 7.8% in July...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The advanced estimate of the second quarter GDP shows a decline...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The housing market is in rapid transition...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Monthly inflation recorded yet another high...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Where are gasoline prices going? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The total number of jobs in the Valley rose above its pre-pandemic high in May...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The GDP dropped by 1.5% during the first quarter of 2022...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The Federal Reserve raised its lending rate by 75 basis points...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Would a tax cut help reduce the national debt? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Job openings have reached 11.5 million...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Inflation dropped slightly in April...a light at the end of the tunnel? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Housing prices, where are they going? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The Valley has recovered all the jobs it lost during the pandemic shutdown...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The Lehigh Valley Business Sentiment Index rose by 5.2% above last year’s level...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The GDP dropped 1.4% during the first quarter of 2022...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
The Fed is planning to increase interest rates again...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Inflation broke yet another record in March...Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.
Is a recession on the horizon? Dr. Kamran Afshar takes a look at this past year and more in his synopsis of the week's economic news and trends across the Lehigh Valley and the nation.