economicsTuesday, June 23, 2026
Today's economics news is a mixed bag: the passing of a titan, a deep dive into why men are leaving the workforce, and fresh data on healthcare affordability. The Greenspan obituary dominates, but the structural stories about labor and small business may matter more for the future.
The biggest story today is the death of Alan Greenspan, a figure who shaped modern American capitalism.
Alan Greenspan, Fed chair from 1987 to 2006, has died at 100. His legacy is split: praised for the 1990s boom, blamed for loose monetary policy that fueled the 2008 crisis.
Beyond the obituaries, three pieces point to persistent cracks in the U.S. economy: falling labor force participation among men, healthcare unaffordability, and a small business squeeze.
Male labor force participation has fallen from 86% in 1950 to 69% today. Economists argue the root is childhood exposure to struggling male role models, creating a cycle of low expectations.
A new Gallup poll finds fewer than 49% of Americans can afford healthcare, the lowest since tracking began. Worry about future costs hit an all-time high of 40%.
Small businesses are struggling under renewed inflation, tariffs, and fuel costs from the Iran war, while large corporations and stocks thrive. The gap between Main Street and Wall Street widens.
A contrarian take argues the U.S. will keep outpacing China due to energy vulnerabilities and financial overreach.
The U.S. will outpace China due to China's dependency on foreign oil and overextended infrastructure spending, argues this piece. A counterpoint to the usual China-rise narrative.
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