Economy as issue in 2016 - will it be better, worse or same?

[eric82oslo]

So today the unemployment rate hit 5.9%

That's a big deal! Didn't see that news anywhere actually. Any links? This is some pretty amazing news for Hillary actually (Obama as well, but he won't run for anything anytime soon, although he'll probably become UN Secretary General or Secretary of State or something like that down the road).

[eric82oslo]

Will the economy be the top issue or even the number two issue in 2016?

If the price of oil drops below 70 dollars, or even just 80 dollars, it might endanger the oil boom in North Dakota and other states I've read. It's already dropped amazingly just over the past week or so. It's in the low 90ies right now. And Saudi Arabia has actually increased production lately, instead of trying to counteract the price fall, which the country in unison with OPEC has almost always tried to do in the past when steep price falls have been imminent. Some oil experts (it's actually a profession believe it or not lol) think that Saudi Arabia might be trying to speculate in another way, by trying to push out American producers, Saudi Arabia might keep up its curreny market share, instead of a drop in market share which would happen in other scenarios. So besides the unemployment rate, the price of oil is probably something one should continue to keep an eye on.

[eric82oslo]

Some worldwide indicators are not looking good, makes me more nervous than I was last month, I think anyone expecting a huge improvement in the economy by 2016 is in fantasy land.

I agree, it's depressing. Russia (Ukraine) is the big sinner here, although the Eurozone isn't far behind either. Then you have the slowdown and possible property/private debt crisis in China, as well as the slowdown in Brazil and Argentina. The US economy is actually one of the few bright spots at the moment. Yet at this moment in time, it surely isn't big or potent enough to lift the whole world out of an oxygen-short crisis.