alex williams
@atwilliams.bsky.social
macroeconomist and computer user at http://www.common-wealth.org, editor at www.continuousvariation.com, fellow at stanford, partisan of the republic of letters, "RTs = ya gotta see this"
Pinned
alex williams
@atwilliams.bsky.social
· Aug 22
"because only that exists which can be posted, bodies themselves fell under the regime of the symbolic" - literal Kittler
Reposted by alex williams
I think the AI aspect is a bit recency bias here because the hiring dynamics significantly pre-date rollout of the tech. My best guess is that we’re seeing lingering impact of 2021 hiring boom followed by sharp demand correction subsequently (monetary policy works - who knew!)
The great graduate job drought - www.ft.com/content/c894... brilliant piece, somewhat terrifying for this father of three
The great graduate job drought
Economic uncertainty and the arrival of AI have brought a reduction in entry-level roles, with potentially disastrous consequences for young people
www.ft.com
January 22, 2026 at 10:54 AM
I think the AI aspect is a bit recency bias here because the hiring dynamics significantly pre-date rollout of the tech. My best guess is that we’re seeing lingering impact of 2021 hiring boom followed by sharp demand correction subsequently (monetary policy works - who knew!)
Reposted by alex williams
It’s funny to see at the SCOTUS Fed posts where the creator of the “Kavanaugh Stop” is all of a sudden worried about the downstream implications of their decision
January 21, 2026 at 5:52 PM
It’s funny to see at the SCOTUS Fed posts where the creator of the “Kavanaugh Stop” is all of a sudden worried about the downstream implications of their decision
now thats a good motto
"We haven't got the money, so we'll have to think" is among the quotes pinned to my wall
January 21, 2026 at 5:57 PM
now thats a good motto
Reposted by alex williams
In both the US and the UK there is a dispute about whether the country is about to hit net zero (migration)...
.... this is really interesting from a forecasting and data quality perspective
... and one of economic consequences
as.ft.com/r/a8f22043-1...
.... this is really interesting from a forecasting and data quality perspective
... and one of economic consequences
as.ft.com/r/a8f22043-1...
What happens if the UK and US reach net zero (migration)?
[FREE TO READ] We would need to rethink sustainable growth rates and fiscal targets
as.ft.com
January 21, 2026 at 5:54 PM
In both the US and the UK there is a dispute about whether the country is about to hit net zero (migration)...
.... this is really interesting from a forecasting and data quality perspective
... and one of economic consequences
as.ft.com/r/a8f22043-1...
.... this is really interesting from a forecasting and data quality perspective
... and one of economic consequences
as.ft.com/r/a8f22043-1...
Reposted by alex williams
Check this one fact out:
"In 2024, the total installed electricity capacity of the planet—every coal, gas, hydro, and nuclear plant and all of the renewables—was about 10 terawatts. The Chinese solar supply chain can now pump out 1 terawatt of panels every year."
"In 2024, the total installed electricity capacity of the planet—every coal, gas, hydro, and nuclear plant and all of the renewables—was about 10 terawatts. The Chinese solar supply chain can now pump out 1 terawatt of panels every year."
January 21, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Check this one fact out:
"In 2024, the total installed electricity capacity of the planet—every coal, gas, hydro, and nuclear plant and all of the renewables—was about 10 terawatts. The Chinese solar supply chain can now pump out 1 terawatt of panels every year."
"In 2024, the total installed electricity capacity of the planet—every coal, gas, hydro, and nuclear plant and all of the renewables—was about 10 terawatts. The Chinese solar supply chain can now pump out 1 terawatt of panels every year."
Reposted by alex williams
okay so fun news, I am launching a macro newsletter from Common Wealth about the supply side data and the US economy called Forces of Production
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Atop the Forces of Production
Announcing the launch of the Forces of Production macro data newsletter
www.forcesofproduction.com
January 20, 2026 at 8:10 PM
okay so fun news, I am launching a macro newsletter from Common Wealth about the supply side data and the US economy called Forces of Production
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Reposted by alex williams
First issue February 2026. Read the launch essay to understand why this matters — and why the economy may prove harder to navigate than the open sea.
Subscribe and share:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Subscribe and share:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Atop the Forces of Production
Announcing the launch of the Forces of Production macro data newsletter
www.forcesofproduction.com
January 21, 2026 at 4:59 PM
First issue February 2026. Read the launch essay to understand why this matters — and why the economy may prove harder to navigate than the open sea.
Subscribe and share:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Subscribe and share:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Reposted by alex williams
We are proud to announce the launch of Forces of Production — a new monthly newsletter tracking the supply side of the US economy.
But first: do you know where the US economy actually is right now? Not how it feels, but what it actually does all day?
Most don't. And that's the problem.
But first: do you know where the US economy actually is right now? Not how it feels, but what it actually does all day?
Most don't. And that's the problem.
January 21, 2026 at 4:59 PM
We are proud to announce the launch of Forces of Production — a new monthly newsletter tracking the supply side of the US economy.
But first: do you know where the US economy actually is right now? Not how it feels, but what it actually does all day?
Most don't. And that's the problem.
But first: do you know where the US economy actually is right now? Not how it feels, but what it actually does all day?
Most don't. And that's the problem.
Reposted by alex williams
Al Gore loudly booing a US Commerce Secretary at a bankers’ forum should be a Futurama joke instead of real life.
January 21, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Al Gore loudly booing a US Commerce Secretary at a bankers’ forum should be a Futurama joke instead of real life.
Reposted by alex williams
Alex “Williams” Veblen is launching an economic data newsletter! You should follow
okay so fun news, I am launching a macro newsletter from Common Wealth about the supply side data and the US economy called Forces of Production
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Atop the Forces of Production
Announcing the launch of the Forces of Production macro data newsletter
www.forcesofproduction.com
January 21, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Alex “Williams” Veblen is launching an economic data newsletter! You should follow
everything is the Strategic Defense Initiative these days it's crazy
Just can't get enough of those crazy tech broligarchs? No worries, it's very possible that we'll be seeing SpaceX, OpenAi and Anthropic doing IPOs this year, with SpaceX claiming that data centers in space will give Grok the competitive advantage in the race against those AI competitors.
Why Elon Musk Is Racing to Take SpaceX Public
Putting data centers in space pushed the billionaire toward an IPO, sources say.
www.wsj.com
January 21, 2026 at 1:29 PM
everything is the Strategic Defense Initiative these days it's crazy
Reposted by alex williams
Really looking forward to this! 👏
okay so fun news, I am launching a macro newsletter from Common Wealth about the supply side data and the US economy called Forces of Production
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Atop the Forces of Production
Announcing the launch of the Forces of Production macro data newsletter
www.forcesofproduction.com
January 21, 2026 at 1:53 AM
Really looking forward to this! 👏
Reposted by alex williams
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
January 20, 2026 at 10:53 PM
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again.
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
Reposted by alex williams
It is not really the classic "techniques of repression rebound from the periphery to the metropole", but I do think the three years we spent being utterly desensitised to social media video clips of civilians being beaten and murdered have probably had some effect on the US political climate
January 20, 2026 at 10:24 PM
It is not really the classic "techniques of repression rebound from the periphery to the metropole", but I do think the three years we spent being utterly desensitised to social media video clips of civilians being beaten and murdered have probably had some effect on the US political climate
Reposted by alex williams
There’s at least 1, possibly as many as 4, good economists
okay so fun news, I am launching a macro newsletter from Common Wealth about the supply side data and the US economy called Forces of Production
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Atop the Forces of Production
Announcing the launch of the Forces of Production macro data newsletter
www.forcesofproduction.com
January 20, 2026 at 9:26 PM
There’s at least 1, possibly as many as 4, good economists
Reposted by alex williams
you should subscribe to my friend's newsletter
he rocks imo
he rocks imo
okay so fun news, I am launching a macro newsletter from Common Wealth about the supply side data and the US economy called Forces of Production
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Atop the Forces of Production
Announcing the launch of the Forces of Production macro data newsletter
www.forcesofproduction.com
January 20, 2026 at 8:16 PM
you should subscribe to my friend's newsletter
he rocks imo
he rocks imo
okay so fun news, I am launching a macro newsletter from Common Wealth about the supply side data and the US economy called Forces of Production
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Atop the Forces of Production
Announcing the launch of the Forces of Production macro data newsletter
www.forcesofproduction.com
January 20, 2026 at 8:10 PM
okay so fun news, I am launching a macro newsletter from Common Wealth about the supply side data and the US economy called Forces of Production
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
Charts for bsky forthcoming at: @forcesofproduction.com
Launch essay below:
www.forcesofproduction.com/p/atop-the-f...
will be interesting to see how much of the impact of these is volume versus messaging/sentiment, should be helpful to calibrate down the line
*DANISH PENSION FUND AKADEMIKERPENSION TO EXIT US TREASURIES
January 20, 2026 at 1:42 PM
will be interesting to see how much of the impact of these is volume versus messaging/sentiment, should be helpful to calibrate down the line
Reposted by alex williams
This is so grim. Science isn’t just something nerds do, but the foundation of the modern world. What the Trump regime has done to US science will harm Americans for generations.
‘Shattered’: US scientists speak out about how Trump policies disrupted their careers
Researchers lay bare the human toll of lay-offs, funding cuts and attacks on science one year after the president’s return to the White House.
www.nature.com
January 20, 2026 at 11:23 AM
This is so grim. Science isn’t just something nerds do, but the foundation of the modern world. What the Trump regime has done to US science will harm Americans for generations.
ive been making the joke "city captured by barbarians like in sid meiers civilization" for a while and it only gets more true
January 20, 2026 at 12:41 PM
ive been making the joke "city captured by barbarians like in sid meiers civilization" for a while and it only gets more true
Reposted by alex williams
Exactly right. I don't know why people still talk about "reserve currency" status so much. Accumulation has slowed to a standstill since the post-'97 China-driven boom, meaning that the dollar's dominance comes from trade and funding aspects instead.
January 19, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Exactly right. I don't know why people still talk about "reserve currency" status so much. Accumulation has slowed to a standstill since the post-'97 China-driven boom, meaning that the dollar's dominance comes from trade and funding aspects instead.
Reposted by alex williams
A reminder that the “weaponise US Treasuries” playbook is outdated: no single foreign entity has meaningful market share, and foreigners are now far less important in government funding. Also (since at least Bagehot’s day), if central banks have one role, it is to act as buyers of last resort.
January 19, 2026 at 2:42 PM
A reminder that the “weaponise US Treasuries” playbook is outdated: no single foreign entity has meaningful market share, and foreigners are now far less important in government funding. Also (since at least Bagehot’s day), if central banks have one role, it is to act as buyers of last resort.
the post-cold war US is 35 years old
I asked Elissa Slotkin about this at an event and she said the US was in its “difficult teenage years” and allies needed to accept “mood swings”
No, I don’t think I will
No, I don’t think I will
January 19, 2026 at 1:47 PM
the post-cold war US is 35 years old
Reposted by alex williams
Clearly the EU cannot really use bonds against the US, but we should keep publishing stories saying they can because the US might try and shoot its own bond market instead
The latest twist in The Apprentice: American Carnage has triggered talk that Europe could “weaponise” its nearly $13tn holdings of US assets.
But how credible is that threat, really? www.ft.com/content/beea...
But how credible is that threat, really? www.ft.com/content/beea...
Could Europe really leverage its $12.6tn pile of US assets?
NIIPing an outlandish idea in the bud
www.ft.com
January 19, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Clearly the EU cannot really use bonds against the US, but we should keep publishing stories saying they can because the US might try and shoot its own bond market instead
low taxes are a public health menace
Gabriel Zucman on the shocking concentration of extreme wealth in the United States….
gzucman.substack.com?r=nle0&utm_c...
gzucman.substack.com?r=nle0&utm_c...
January 19, 2026 at 12:54 PM
low taxes are a public health menace