The average saving rate for the typical American household before the recession started in 2007 was 2.9 percent; since then it has risen to 5 percent. Uncertainty about the future was the primary driver for the increase. More saving is a good thing, right? Well, some economists argue it might be detrimental to the overall economy. Given the benefits to individuals, how could this be? The May 2012 issue explores this "paradox of thrift."

In the second episode of the No-Frills Money Skills video series, students learn that it is important to save for college, cars, retirement, and the unexpected. The video also explains the difference between a 401(k) and a Roth 401(k).

Is there a recipe for economic growth? Perhaps some Miracle-Gro for the economy? If only it were that easy. While the exact recipe is a mystery, economists have identified some of the key ingredients. The September 2013 issue discusses the role that economic institutions play in fostering long-term economic growth.

What Makes Something Useful as Money? is the third video in the Explore Economics animated series. It shows items that have been used as money in the past and explains why something used as money should be relatively scarce, generally acceptable, portable, durable, and divisible.

In this lesson, students read and interpret choropleth maps, which contain unemployment data. They compare verbal descriptions of the labor market from the Federal Reserve's Beige Book with the mapped data. In addition, students compare unemployment data for different years. Students access or observe how to access this data online.

In this video (Part I) of a series on the monetary system, students will learn about the Gold Standard system that was used in the past. The video is approximately 2 minutes long.

Does it feel like your dollars go as far as they used to? If not, how does that mesh when reports say inflation rates are lower than average? The October 2015 issue of Page One Economics explains the disconnect between what you might experience as a consumer and what the data show.

Over 200 years ago, Adam Smith attempted to explain why some nations are wealthier than others. Today, the gap between rich and poor countries is even larger. The September 2017 issue of Page One Economics describes how total factor productivity contributes to economic growth and how growth leads to a rising standard of living.

With prices of new vehicles at all-time highs, many buyers are looking for used vehicles. It can be challenging, though, to figure out what is or isn't a good deal. The September 2016 issue of Page One Economics explains why asymmetric information makes it difficult for used-car buyers to avoid "lemons" and why lemons are a larger problem for the used-car market.

The unemployment rate always seems to be in the news, but did you know there are different kinds of unemployment? There is the natural rate of unemployment; cyclical, frictional, and structural unemployment; plus underemployment. Read the October 2013 issue to learn the differences.

Robots are in the headlines, and many of us are wondering if they’ll also be taking over our jobs. Is the “Robot Apocalypse” upon us, or is this part of a larger trend that’s been occurring for much of human history? Find out by reading the January 2018 issue of Page One Economics.

App-driven jobs allow workers to decide when, where, and how much to work—one “gig” at a time. Learn more about this new employment trend in the January 2019 issue of Page One Economics.

Students participate in a banking role play in which they portray roles based on characters in the book Worth! by A. LaFaye. The students learn about banking, profit, risk, and reward. Students discuss some of the factors that affect loan interest rates and the availability of credit. Students apply their knowledge of the content by writing a fictional applicant a letter of acceptance or rejection.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office tackles that question in a new report and highlights the trade-off presented by increasing the minimum wage. The March 2014 issue explains the debate and discusses whether other approaches may be more effective in helping alleviate poverty.

Historically, money was made of either valuable commodities such as gold or silver coins or pieces of paper (bills) representing these commodities. The United States severed its last official monetary link to gold in 1971. The January 2015 Page One Economics Newsletter describes some of the advantages and disadvantages of the gold standard.

A ¥en to Trade is a set of lessons for students in the middle grades—grades 6-8. These lessons are written to help students understand the basic rationale for making trades, the gains that are possible from trade, and how trading is done between people of different countries. Each lesson teaches fundamental economic concepts such as scarcity, economic wants, resources, goods and services, opportunity cost, and money, as well as international trade concepts such as exports, imports, tariffs, quotas, exchange rates, and trade routes. Most lessons employ simulations and other active-learning strategies to engage students in the learning process and to provide experiences to help them discover why things happen as they do.