U-5

(ECONOMICS) Total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other persons marginally attached to the labor force, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force. This includes workers who are not counted as "discouraged workers" for minor technical reasons. Therefore, if one wants to cite the percentage of discouraged unemployed, the true figure is U-5, not U-4.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publishes six estimates of unemployment. The others are U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, and U-6. Eurostat publishes one monthly estimate of unemployment for the European Union, which is approximately midway between U-3 and U-4.

The unemployment statistics for the USA are collected through a monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) (also known as the household survey) and an establishment survey.
For economists, U-5 and U-6 can help provide some insight into labor market movements. In particular, the spread between U-5 and U-6 can show how quickly businesses are returning to normality after a recession, because it offers a way to gauge changes in the number of hours worked as well as in the number of workers hired.
by Abu Yahya July 15, 2010
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national bank

(US HISTORY) federally chartered bank. In 1863, the US Congress passed the National Bank Act that empowered banks with federal charters to issue currency backed by US Treasury securities.

National bank notes were issued until 1935; after 1928, they looked exactly the same as "national notes," or paper money circulated by the US Treasury.

(The US Treasury stopped issuing banknotes in 1971. Such notes were distinguished from federal reserve notes by a red seal and the absence of the legend, "federal reserve note" at the top of the bill).
Any national bank could issue currency equal in value to 90% of US treasury securities that it had on deposity with the Treasury. National bank notes initially had their own distinctive engraving, but after 1928 were visually almost indistinguishable from federal reserve notes.
by Abu Yahya May 05, 2010
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cash flow

(ACCOUNTING) the total amount of money paid to a company during the period covered by a statement. For example, during a quarterly statement of cash flow, "cash flow" means the firm received payments or realized capital gains of that much money.

During the same period, the firm may have billed out (accounts receivable) a certain amount for which it has not received payment, and received payment on account for bills it made before the quarter began.

This is not the same as operating cash flow, which is revenue minus operating expenses.
Over the course of a few months, the cash flow for a business is about the same as revenue, as payments will generally come in at about the same rate as the firm bills customers.

This NOT true for operating cash flow or net cash flow.
by Abu Yahya September 20, 2010
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economic efficiency

The ability of an economic system to provide what people what, given their incomes. Given the fact that incomes and resources are both finite, efficiency will be of the utmost importance in determining if people's wants are satisfied by the workings of the economic system.
Free market economies usually provide high levels of economic efficiency.
by abu yahya June 23, 2008
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theodicy

*noun*; from Greek, θεός {god} + δίκαιον (justice). Literally, "the justice of God." Specifically, the attempt to explain God's ways to mortals.

The term was used by Gottfried Leibniz for his book {Théodicée} explaining how an omnipotent and benevolent God could allow suffering in the universe. Leibniz took the approach that this was the "best of all possible worlds," meaning that God could not have made this world better in any one respect, without making it worse in others.

In 1759, Voltaire published the novel *Candide* which was essentially a very long satire of Leibniz' views. The character of Dr. Pangloss is based on Leibniz, although it has been argued that Voltaire misrepresented Leibniz' views.


In common usage, the term *theodicy* refers to any defense of a thing based on the claim that whatever that thing does is the best possible. The obvious example is neoclassical economics, which insists that whatever outcome achieved by "the market," it is the best one that could possibly exist. It's a fallacy because it uses circular reasoning, and it is unfalsifiable.
Privileged and successful groups need religion for a very different purpose, namely legitimation. Their members are convinced that they deserve their good fortune and that the poor deserve their misfortune. {Max} Weber calls this the "theodicy of good fortune"...

Anthony Waterman in 2002 put forward the suggestion that Smith could be read as offering a kind of Augustinian theodicy of the market. According to him, Smith's idea could be interpreted as thus: just like God put governments in place to restrain sin, the institution of the market also restrains sin.

Nimi Wariboko, *God and Money: A Theology of Money in a Globalizing World* (2008)
by Abu Yahya March 23, 2009
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leveraged buyout

(FINANCE) when somebody buys a corporation using borrowed money ("leverage"), with the expectation that the new owner will able to pay for it from the corporation's own profits.

Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts (KKR) developed the LBO back when Jerome Kohlberg, Jr. and Henry Kravis were still partners at Bear Stearns (1960's). The technique was refined by Michael Milken's methods of underwriting and trading junk bonds. At the same time, corporate raiders and takeover artists like T. Boone Pickens perfected greenmail as a way to make money from failed hostile takeovers.
In constant US dollars, the largest leveraged buyout deal in history was the KKR takeover of RJR Nabisbo for $31.1 billion (1989). In 2006, several deals of even larger size were planned or attempted, but adjusted for inflation, they were not as large.
by Abu Yahya September 04, 2010
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Stiftung

German, *noun*: "foundation"; a type of business organization dating from the late 19th century in which one or more companies are owned by a foundation. The foundation, in turn, is governed not by shareholders, but by whomever is chartered as a stakeholder in the firm, such as workers, financial planners, local residents of the town where the firm operates, and so on.

The biggest company owned by a foundation is Robert Bosch GmBH, which is 92% owned by Robert Bosch Stiftung (Stuttgart, Germany). Bertelsmann AG (Guetersloh, Germany) is owned by the Bertelsmann-Stiftung, which appears to possess the largest endowment of any German foundation; the affiliated company owns an enormous media empire.

Plural: Stiftungen
The prevalence of the *Stiftung* in German industry probably contributed to the excellence of German manufactures, since the affiliated companies were managed by engineers.
by Abu Yahya February 23, 2009
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