Daily News Lesson

SHOW ALL

Aug. 16, 2023, 11:58 a.m.

Daily news lesson: Jobs report falls short of expectations but recession may be avoided

Summary

The U.S. economy added 187,000 jobs in July, slightly fewer than expected but still a sign of a resilient job market. The report also shows the unemployment rate dipped to 3.5 percent. This comes after several encouraging reports in the last two weeks on GDP and inflation. Special correspondent and Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell joined Geoff Bennett to break it all down.

For a transcript of this story, click here

News wrap alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

Five Facts

  1. When was the last time job growth was this high?
  2. How many more interest rate hikes are anticipated this year?
  3. Why did people think women would be disproportionately affected by a recession?
  4. What group's labor force participation is at an all-time high?
  5. Where does Katelyn Jetelina work?
  6. Who is the Fed chairman?

Focus Questions

How much do you think the government should be involved in manipulating the economy?

News Analysis: Where else could you go to find out about the state of the economy and likely changes in the future?

Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? 

For More

What students can do: Discuss — Why is the jobs report important? How does the employment rate matter to your life and your community?

Recent Daily News Lessons

growingdebt-e1786996764405

Daily News Lesson

National debt nears $40 trillion — why does that matter?

Discuss the impact of the national debt hitting an important threshold

sea-1024x576

Daily News Lesson

Trump dismisses concerns over conditions on long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln

Learn about the mental health challenges and supply issues sailors are experiencing, according to family members and U.S. Naval officials

2026-06-23T212757Z_1519763688_MT1USATODAY29254705_RTRMADP_3_VOTING-BOOTHS-ARE-SET-UP-TUESDAY-JUNE-23-2026-DURING-THE-e1786392101996

Daily News Lesson

Monitoring the Midterms: Are midterms safe from cybersecurity threats?

Discuss the ways the federal government and state governments are preparing for cybersecurity threats ahead of the 2026 midterms

Mohammad Reza Naqdi

Daily News Lesson

Top adviser to Iran's Revolutionary Guard leader sits down for rare interview

Explore western media coverage of Iran and what happened after the Iran nuclear deal fell apart in 2018

SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY:

PBS News Hour Classroom

Copyright © 2025 News Hour Production LLC. All Rights Reserved

Illustrations by Annamaria Ward