A key factor driving the rise in mortgage-free homeownership is demographics. Older homeowners are more likely to be mortgage-free, and as Americans live longer and the massive baby boomer generation ages into their senior years, the U.S. population has skewed older-pushing up the share of homeowners without mortgages. According to ResiClub 's analysis, 54% of the 35 million U.S. homeowners who are mortgage-free are 65 years old or older.
The big picture: The drop in workers could alter the nation's projected demographics and make it difficult to revive manufacturing jobs - or to attract workers in health, agriculture and energy as the population ages. Projected new workers entering the workforce wouldn't fully make up the difference, leading to the net reductions, per the National Foundation for American Policy, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank that focuses on trade and immigration.
Corporations will have to pay a $100,000 fee to apply for H-1B visas, a pathway for skilled foreigners to join U.S. employment ranks, the president announced - up from $2,500. Trump also directed the Labor Department to revise pay requirements for these workers who, in some cases, are underpaid relative to U.S. workers. What they're saying: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said it won't be "economic anymore" for companies to rely on H-1B visa - incentivizing them to lean on American workers instead.
After spending four years with their heads in the books, recent college graduates may want a change of scenery once they toss their caps. But in some cases, it might be best to stay put. Research firm RentCafe analyzed 122 metros with populations over 300,000 and ranked the best metros for Gen Z graduates. Each metro was ranked based on six weighted metrics related to Gen Z population, job growth, and other factors related to livability.
Peak population is coming for all of us. Sensible measures can respond to the strains imposed by smaller families, but cultural norms matter as much as policy outcomes. While Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was undoubtedly the main attraction at Jackson Hole, there were other weighty issues on the table. The role of men and societal values in declining fertility was among them. Nobel laureate Claudia Goldin told the Fed's conference in Wyoming that it's important not to overlook tradition when explaining low fertility.
New figures revealed by the consumer researchers NeilsonIQ show Gen X consumers will spend $15.2 trillion (around £11.28 trillion) this year worldwide, eclipsing the Baby Boomers' $13.5 trillion (£10.02 trillion). In fact, Baby Boomers are also likely to be outspent by Millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996) this year. Millennials' spending could reach $14.7 trillion (£10.91 trillion), knocking Boomers into third place.
Why it matters: The report highlights the historic rise in unauthorized immigrants during President Biden's first two years in office, fueling the backlash that helped Donald Trump's return to the White House as Latinos in South Texas began moving to the GOP. Polls showed that Latinos who said they support building a border wall and deporting all undocumented immigrants jumped by at least 10 points since 2021, after the significant increase in unauthorized immigrants began.
The dramatic decline in the pool of available males for military service is also causing a shortfall in the number of officers and could result in operational difficulty if it continues.
The population of Japan went down by more than 900,000 people in 2024, marking an all-time high decline since records began in 1968. This represents the 16th consecutive year of population shrinkage, leaving Japan with a total of 124.3 million people.
"The immediate downward trend is largely due to the drop in mortality caused by COVID-19 - accounting for 60 percent of the decrease, according to a joint study by the Direction de la recherche, des études, de l'évaluation et des statistiques (DREES) and others."
"Between 2019 and 2021, the share of traced crime guns originally purchased by individuals aged 18 to 24 rose from 21% to 24%, while those aged 25 to 34 increased from 33% to 35%."
