Viewpoint: James Surowiecki
From The New Yorker: “From the perspective of the economy as a whole, small companies are not the real drivers of growth. One can see this by looking...
“From the perspective of the economy as a whole, small companies are not the real drivers of growth. One can see this by looking at the track record of the world’s economies. The developed countries with the highest percentage of workers employed by small businesses include Greece, Portugal, Spain, and Italy—that is, the four countries whose economic woes are wreaking such havoc on financial markets. Meanwhile, the countries with the lowest percentage of workers employed by small businesses are Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and the U.S.—some of the strongest economies in the world. This correlation is not a coincidence. It reflects a simple reality: Small businesses are, on the whole, less productive than big businesses, and though they do create most jobs, they also destroy most jobs, since, while starting a business is easy, keeping it going is hard.”
James Surowiecki in The New Yorker
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Magazine solutions - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
By The Week US Published
-
Magazine printables - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 27, 2024 / January 3, 2025
By The Week US Published
-
Why ghost guns are so easy to make — and so dangerous
The Explainer Untraceable, DIY firearms are a growing public health and safety hazard
By David Faris Published
-
Issue of the week: Car dealers’ showdown with Tesla
feature Tesla's direct-sale business model is coming under fire in New Jersey and many other states.
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Issue of the week: Has Washington defeated Wall Street?
feature The Dodd-Frank Act forced banks to sell off “many of their classic ‘Wall Street’ businesses. How are the banks doing?
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Issue of the week: Is 2014 the recovery year?
feature Economic forecasters generally think 2014 will “be a breakout year” for the U.S. economy.
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Issue of the week: Signs of a true recovery
feature Could the economy finally be back on track?
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Issue of the week: The economy’s new normal
feature Are we in “a permanent slump?”
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Issue of the week: When is inflation just right?
feature Though it has been battled in past decades, some economists believe a little inflation is good for a weak economy.
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Issue of the week: The rise of a part-time economy
feature The economy has created new jobs for the 34th month in a row, but most of them are low-paid and part-time.
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Issue of the week: A disappointing jobs report
feature The economy added just 88,000 jobs in March, less than half of Wall Street’s expectations.
By The Week Staff Last updated