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What U.S. Population Growth Means Economically

With the United States population set to reach 300 million this October, what does this mean for the U.S. economy? There are many concerns among American businesses that the growing economic power of China poses a threat of some kind to continuing American economic success and predominance. However, the United States is a country that has one of the hardest working populations on the planet, and while China?s population continues to grow along with its economic clout, the actual effects of Chinese economic ascendance aren?t always considered along with the causes.

The vast, vast majority of Chinese citizens are not as affluent as Americans, China has a population well over 1 billion people, but a significant portion are peasants or just plain living in poverty. The combined economic power of the European Union likely will pose a greater ?threat? to the U.S. economy in terms of competitiveness than China for a while, until China?s economy and population is significantly modernized enough to compete regularly and not only regularly but equally with the U.S. worker.

There are differing schools of thought in America as to how to approach Chinese growth. Protectionists would like to see something done to significantly slow down the Chinese economy, while others say it might be better to help guide the Chinese along a path more beneficial to the United States. As always, there are currency issues and a major bone of contention between Washington and Beijing is the way that the Chinese peg their currency, the ?yuan?, to the U.S. dollar.