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Summer Livin’: As we fully enter the summer months the pandemic and the fears that have accompanied it recede more and more each day. And all of this points to stronger recovery thru Labor day and beyond. Oxford Economics reports, “[Following the Memorial Day weekend], market volatility eased, health conditions continued improving, and employment accelerated … With close to 60% of US adults fully vaccinated, the economy’s ongoing reopening has lifted the [recovery] tracker to its highest point in the recovery.” In the words of the Wall Street Journal, “The U.S. economic recovery is unlike any in recent history, powered by consumers with trillions in extra savings, businesses eager to hire and enormous policy support.” While sustained recovery isn’t guaranteed, Americans are certainly eager to enjoy the summer months!  Living in the moment has never felt so good on whole.

Summer = Quit Your Job?: Perhaps part of enjoying the summer is being expressed in quitting gainful employment. Why? One theory is there’s a “fundamental shift in the relationship between employees and bosses that could have profound implications for the future of work,” writes Derek Thompson in The Atlantic. Lower wage workers who benefited from enhanced unemployment benefits are demanding wage increases while white-collar workers are feeling generally burned out after a grueling pandemic year. While often associated with pessimism and laziness, in our post-pandemic society, this job quitting trend may indicate optimism for the future, eagerness for new experiences and maybe just finding somewhere better to land. With ‘YOLO’ vibes strong, experts say that the benefit could be labor productivity as we learn new ways of conducting business. If you don’t know what YOLO stands for please call the office, we’re happy to help!

Cookies Hanging Around: While we all enjoy a good chocolate chip cookie, the kind hanging around aren’t quite the same. Google announced they are delaying the removal of web-tracking technology (known as cookies) until late 2023. Balancing the Google ecosystem of user privacy and the $455 billion ad revenue it produces, execs are stating more time is needed to get it right. While Google works on new technology to address concerns on both sides, we still strongly suggest grabbing a cookie for your mid-afternoon snack.

The Bottleneck Contributing to Inflation: You might be wondering why supply and demand is still an issue as the economy continues to open. One large contributing factor is the pile-up of cargo. As companies attempt to move product to physical locations where buying and selling continues to increase, getting product on actual vehicles to move it has been the difficulty. Ships coming across the Pacific are delayed by months, truck drivers are overwhelmed, and railroads are maxed out. In May, the Port of Los Angeles logged its busiest month in history, receiving more than 1 million shipment containers, half loaded with products from Asia. As consumers spend more on travel and experiences, it is expected that the bottleneck will lessen a bit, however it will take many months to untangle the issue entirely.  Our hope is that this also remedies the consequential rise in pricing we’ve observed in many goods.

Ending the Hiccups: If we can’t fix all the economic, social and supply/demand hiccups, scientists certainly feel like they’re on the right track of fixing our actual hiccups. Stopping 92% of attacks on the spot, scientists have created an L-shaped drinking straw, named Hicc Away, requiring a suction and swallow pattern. You can purchase this key to hiccup freedom for $15. Or you can try the never patented method of a spoon of peanut butter. Either way, hiccup freedom is accessible.