Jan 11 When a raise means losing ground for low-income families As part of NewsHour Weekend's coverage of the rising rates of poverty in American suburbs, we also refer to the "cliff effect." This phenomenon occurs when a family begins to earn above the limits set by the state… Continue reading
Jan 11 Poverty grows on Maple Street In 1964, as President Lyndon Johnson launched a broad platform to abolish American poverty, images of American poverty focused on the inner-city and rural poor. Today, fifty years later, statistics reveal another rapidly-growing group living in poverty:… Continue reading
Jan 10 Unemployment's slow drip: Top economists on the 2013 jobs record By Simone Pathe The unemployment rate in December 2012 was 7.9 percent. A year later, it's at 6.7 percent. But the employment picture, top economists agree, is not so simple. Photo courtesy of Matthew Staver/Bloomberg via Getty Images. The release of December's… Continue reading
Jan 10 Watch Weak job growth, unemployment drop signal 'unwinding' of labor participation Weak job growth, unemployment drop signal 'unwinding' of labor participation… Continue watching
Jan 10 Unemployment's Slow Drip: Top Economists on the 2013 Jobs Record By Simone Pathe The release of December's job report prompts us to look back at the year in unemployment. Earlier in 2013, a partial government shutdown delayed this fall's Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. And for much of the year, each month's… Continue reading
Jan 10 A 'perverse' and chilly jobs report: Unemployment down, but we're leaving the workforce in droves By Paul Solman Photo courtesy of Justin Sullivan/Getty Images. My preferred word to describe today's unemployment numbers comes from Robin Harding in this morning's Financial Times: "perverse" (though you need a subscription to read the article). That is, a paltry 74,000… Continue reading
Jan 10 A 'Perverse' and Chilly Jobs Report: Unemployment Down, but We're Leaving the Workforce in Droves By Paul Solman By Paul Solman My preferred word to describe today's unemployment numbers comes from Robin Harding in this morning's Financial Times: "perverse" (though you need a subscription to read the article). That is, a paltry 74,000 new jobs… Continue reading
Jan 09 The War on Poverty: Not just a liberal campaign By Shawn Fremstad By Shawn Fremstad Although President Lyndon Johnson, seen here signing the Economic Opportunity Act in 1964, is often identified with the War on Poverty, many of its programs were bipartisan initiatives. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia via LBJ Library. 2014… Continue reading
Jan 09 The War on Poverty: Not Just a Liberal Campaign By Shawn Fremstad Although President Lyndon Johnson, seen here signing the Economic Opportunity Act in 1964, is often identified with the War on Poverty, many of its programs were bipartisan initiatives. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia via LBJ Library. Editor's Note: 2014 marks… Continue reading
Jan 08 Cleaning 'dirty' bills could save the world's treasuries billions Photo by Flickr user squishyray Scientists have found a greener, low-cost way to prolong the life of soiled, worn paper bills that would save the world's treasuries billions. The solution? Literal laundering, or cleaning, of the… Continue reading