A Little List Of Labor, Love

The Economist Buttonwood blog has posted a table published by Denis Chavez of Research Affiliates (inexplicably attributed to Chris Brightman) of the net labor workforce ratio -- the number of persons 20-64 years of age minus number of the number of those 65 years and older divided into the total population.

(Link)

While I do not buy the analysis accompanying the table, it is nice to see someone as having done the calculations showing the basic pointlessness of Abenomics. Economic growth will require more people working doing meaningful work. Neither the stimulus bills nor the new Bank of Japan monetary policy will attack this issue.

I do admit surprise at the healthy bulge in the 2010 net labor workforce figure for China, given the one child policy and increases in longevity. Perhaps the Chinese economy has a few more years of growth in it after all.