Want to know what an economic statistic means?

-Source-Phily.com-

When it comes to economic issues and economic data, what seems obvious or logical often turns out to be neither. The failure to understand context gets people and especially politicians into trouble when they use economic arguments or numbers to make a political point.

Consider Pa. State Rep. Seth Grove (R., York) and his drive to limit the ability of localities to "regulate employer policies or practices or enforce any mandate regarding employer policies or practices." Grove, as detailed in a recent Inquirer column article, is worried that certain municipalities are piling on employer mandates, slowing growth.

Now that sounds totally logical. The more the mandates, the slower the growth. The data show that, right? Let's see.

Since the target of the legislation is largely Philadelphia, which seems to impose new mandates or taxes on businesses every other week, it would be nice to know whether the logic used by Grove holds up under scrutiny. On the surface, it doesn't. Read more