hundreds of tiny workers The usual suspects — globalization, automation and the shift to service industries — have all been picked over. So let's try to consider this in terms of historical shifts. I have 4 theories worth exploring. (Photo: Shutterstock)

(Bloomberg Opinion) –Which of these two scenarios describes the U.S. economy?

No. 1. The economy is better than ever: The stock market is near a record high, wages are rising, there are more job openings than applicants, household wealth has hit a record, gross domestic product is growing briskly, house values have recovered from the bust, and consumer confidence is back — and so is America!

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