Jadrian Wooten

Is the Gen Z Stare Hurting Their Job Prospects? Millennials had avacado toast. Gen Z has the stare.

What happens when a neutral expression in an interview is read as disinterest by the person hiring you?

This week’s Monday Morning Economist looks at the “Gen Z stare” through the lens of signaling theory.
www.mondayeconomist.com/p/gen-z-stare

What’s Going On With the Jobs Numbers? Revisions aren’t a sign of failure.

The BLS reported 73,000 new jobs in July. Hours later, the BLS commissioner was fired.

Trump accused her of manipulating the numbers, but data revisions happen every month. It's part of the process. So what makes this time different?

www.mondayeconomist.com/p/revisions

How 10 Seconds Became a Multi-Million Dollar Problem A small security ritual adds up to a big economic burden when repeated by millions.

Taking off your shoes at TSA took about 10 seconds. Multiply that by ~2 million travelers a day, and you have a multi-million dollar problem.

This week’s post explores what small inconvenience really costs us:
www.mondayeconomist.com/p/tsa-shoes

How Sandwiches Explain 100 Years of Economic Growth The simple sandwich can help explain how everyday life has changed over the last century

Would you rather eat a sandwich made from a 1920s recipe or one from your local deli today? 🥪

I teamed up with Sandwiches of History to explore how 100 years of economic growth changed the way we eat. Even your fridge tells a story of progress.

www.mondayeconomist.com/p/how-sandwi...

Why Are Americans Suddenly Saving Again? An economist’s honest (and annoying) answer would be: “It depends.”

Are Americans saving more because they feel good about their finances or because they’re scared?

This week, I teamed up with @yourbrainonmoney.bsky.social to answer that question. I tackled the economics, and she tackled the behavioral finance.

www.mondayeconomist.com/p/savings-rate

The Surprising Economics of Love Island It may look like just another reality dating show, but Love Island is also a live experiment in incentives, preferences, and strategic matchups. Here's what an economist sees when a new bombshell ente...

Tonight’s the #LoveIslandUSA finale, which means it’s the perfect time to bring this one back:
💔 Matching markets
🔄 Strategic recoupling
💵 The economics of love

(No need to love the show, just bring your inner economist.)

www.mondayeconomist.com/p/love-island

What Amazon Prime Day Can Teach Us About Economics A look at why Amazon's deep discounts are actually a high-priced strategy

Amazon’s not losing money on Prime Day. It’s using one of the oldest pricing strategies in economics: second-degree price discrimination.

This post explains why charging you to access discounts is smarter than it sounds.

www.mondayeconomist.com/p/what-amazo...

I’ve been writing Monday Morning Economist for five years, but I’m still eager to discover new writers, podcasters, and creators doing smart, engaging work around economics, teaching, or pop culture.

Who should I be reading or listening to?

Tag your favorites down below.

Competitive Eaters Experience Diminishing Returns, Too! Even without Joey Chestnut in this year's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, diminishing returns will "ketchup" to all the eaters at some point in the contest.

Every July 4th, millions watch Joey Chestnut crush hot dogs during Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on ESPN.

But he’s not just a competitive eater! He’s also a great example of diminishing returns in action. Will it happen to him again this year?

www.mondayeconomist.com/p/competitiv...

Some exciting news to share: my newsletter just hit the **#1 rising spot in Education** on Substack today!

It’s been an incredible run these past few weeks! I'm grateful to everyone who reads, shares, and subscribes!

A Mid-Year Update from Monday Morning Economist New readers, classroom tools, and a look at what’s ahead.

Midyear check-in is live. What’s working and where this econ newsletter is headed next.

If you like newsletters, pop econ, or just watching someone figure it out in public, give it a read: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/2025-midyear

Bobby Bonilla has gotten a $1.2 million check every July 1 since 2011, but do you know why?

The same math that will help him earn $30 million instead of $6 million can help the rest of us earn more, too!

A new post drops tomorrow. Subscribe now: www.mondayeconomist.com

🎙 Bonus ask: If you host a podcast related to teaching or economics, I’d love to join for a conversation.

Run a newsletter or listserv? Happy to do an AMA or guest post.

Reply or DM me! I’m always up for something fun and useful.

Monday Morning Economist | Jadrian Wooten | Substack A free, weekly newsletter that makes economics easier to understand with insights from current events, pop culture, and teaching. Join thousands who start their week with smarter thinking. Click to re...

Even something like, “Hey, I think you’d like this” can go a long way.

I’m relying on readers who know the newsletter best (that’s you)!

Here’s where to grab your unique referral link:
🔗 www.mondayeconomist.com/leaderboard

If you’re in a Facebook group, Slack channel, Discord server, or email list where people might enjoy it… Could you share the newsletter?
🟨 Drop your referral link
🟦 Add a quick note on why you read it

It doesn’t have to be fancy, just a genuine recommendation.

You’ve seen more from me over the past two weeks, on purpose. I’m halfway through a 30-day challenge to grow my newsletter.

But I’m close to the limits of where I can reach alone. So I could really use your help 🧵

How $5.9 Million Turns Into $30 Million Every summer on the first of July, baseball fans and finance nerds alike come together to celebrate one of the most interesting contracts in sports history.

Check it out: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/bobby-boni...

Bobby Bonilla has gotten a $1.2 million check every July 1 since 2011, but do you know why?

The same math that will help him earn $30 million instead of $6 million can help the rest of us earn more, too!

A new post drops tomorrow. Subscribe now: www.mondayeconomist.com

Jadrian | Monday Morning Economist Bookshop This shop features books I recommend in the Monday Morning Economist newsletter—including teaching resources, student-friendly reads, and general audience favorites. New posts every Monday. Subscribe ...

Looking for some econ-themed summer reads? I’ve created a curated Bookshop with econ reads for:
🧠 Econ-curious folks
🎒 Students
🧑‍🏫 Teachers
📖 Books I’ve taught in class
🗓️ Plus my annual favorites

Check it out here 👉 bookshop.org/shop/MondayE...

160 million people have been under heat alerts this week. Extreme heat isn’t just dangerous, it’s also economically costly.

Here's how heat waves reduce worker productivity, especially for those in outdoor and physical labor jobs.

📬 www.mondayeconomist.com/p/heatwaves

Why Subscribe? No matter your background, there's something here for you every Monday morning.

Want to see more reasons people subscribe? I just launched a testimonial page that highlights what readers love most:
www.mondayeconomist.com/p/why

What do teachers, students, and the econ-curious all have in common?

They all subscribe to the Monday Morning Economist, my free weekly newsletter that connects economic concepts to real-world stories, headlines, and pop culture.

Join them: mondayeconomist.com

The Surprising Economics of Love Island It may look like just another reality dating show, but Love Island is also a live experiment in incentives, preferences, and strategic matchups. Here's what an economist sees when a new bombshell ente...

🚨 New post is live! 🩷🏝️ Whether you’re watching #LoveIsland for love or economics, it’s worth a read.

www.mondayeconomist.com/p/love-island

Yes, I’ve been watching #LoveIsland, but not just for the drama.

If you’ve ever watched a recoupling ceremony and thought, “This feels like economics,” you’re not wrong.

📬 Subscribe to get it first thing Monday: www.mondayeconomist.com

Yes, I’ve been watching #LoveIsland, but not just for the drama.

If you’ve ever watched a recoupling ceremony and thought, “This feels like economics,” you’re not wrong.

📬 Subscribe to get it first thing Monday: www.mondayeconomist.com

Why did we stop buying colorful cars?

In the 1990s, red and green were much more common. Now, nearly 4 out of 5 new cars are black, white, gray, or silver.

📊 Check out the trends and learn the economics behind them: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/car-colors

I’m running a quick survey for my newsletter readers: Why do you read Monday Morning Economist?

If you’ve ever read or shared a post, I’d love to hear from you.
(Substack readers, you received a survey in today’s email!)

Allow Me to Reintroduce This Newsletter What it is, who it’s for, and where to start

Just published a “starter guide” with 5 of my most popular posts from Monday Morning Economist.

Tariffs, Taylor Swift, Home Alone, and more. It's econ for the real world.

Curious? Start here: www.mondayeconomist.com/p/allow-me-t...

Monday Morning Economist | Jadrian Wooten | Substack Monday Morning Economist is your weekly guide to understanding pop culture and current events through economics. Subscribe today for a deeper understanding of how economics shapes our everyday lives! ...

I’m trying to double the subscriber base of Monday Morning Economist over the next 30 days. My goal? 8,000 new readers.

If you’ve enjoyed my weekly takes on baseball cards, tariffs, or egg prices, help me spread the word.

Get your personal invite link: www.mondayeconomist.com/leaderboard

How to Think About Your College Major What the data says about majors and salaries, and why it's not the whole story.

What should you major in? For many students, that question comes with pressure from parents, from peers, and future salary data.

But there's more to the story than just future paychecks.

www.mondayeconomist.com/p/how-to-thi...