-
Nov. 19, 2013
With an outcome of near universal health coverage for residents of the Bay State, the 2006 reform of Massachusetts' health care system has also come with higher prices. Paul Solman reports on the state's effort to slow rising costs by looking for ways to cut spending on care that doesn't add value or improve health.
-
Nov. 8, 2013
The October jobs report showed a surprise spike in hiring with employers adding 204,000 jobs last month. Despite the good news, the unemployment rate rose to 7.3 percent. How is this possible? Paul Solman explains how the 16-day shutdown may have warped the numbers and what the data means for the overall economic recovery.
-
Nov. 8, 2013
What does paying airport workers a living wage have to do with your travel experience? Quite a lot, if you care about your luggage making it to your destination.
-
Nov. 7, 2013
A living wage is good for the entire economy, even for those local businesses who may oppose it, says SEIU Local 775NW President David Rolf.
-
Nov. 6, 2013
A higher minimum wage is a win for workers, right? And what about for small business owners, even those exempt from having to pay the $15 an hour? Hardly, they say.
-
Nov. 5, 2013
SeaTac, Wash., is aptly named after the airport located there. The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the city's largest employer and could soon be boosting their minimum wage for employees to $15 per hour. Paul Solman reports on the debate surrounding the nation's latest living wage initiative, SeaTac's Proposition 1.
-
Nov. 5, 2013
In SeaTac, Washington, a small city near the airport, workers and business owners agree that not having paid sick leave impacts more than just those living and working in SeaTac.
-
Nov. 4, 2013
Paul Solman speaks with Diana Pearce, creator of the Self-Sufficiency Standard, in this web exclusive video about the bare minimum it takes to survive on your own
-
Oct. 25, 2013
Some Hurricane Sandy survivors have begun to study up on "doomsday prepping" in case another environmental disaster hits. City slickers by day, survivalists in the NYC Preppers Network head up to the Catskill Mountains on the weekends, armed with just the basics to practice living off the land. Paul Solman reports.
-
Oct. 22, 2013
Employment data for the month of September was finally released after being delayed for weeks by the shutdown. The numbers reflect a month of disappointing growth with little change in unemployment and fewer jobs created than expected. Economic correspondent Paul Solman looks at what it means for the nation's economic recovery.
-
Oct. 15, 2013
If lawmakers fail to avert a debt default, there could be a devastating impact on the national economy: mortgages soaring, consumers unable to borrow, the government forced to pay more to borrow more, plunging us deeper into debt. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports on how the bond market is anticipating the situation.
-
Oct. 9, 2013
As part of our series of conversations on Bitcoin, Jonathan Mohan explains that even if Bitcoin fails, cryptocurrencies are here to stay.
-
Oct. 9, 2013
Our Making Sen$e broadcast on the rise of Bitcoin didn't have time to explore every angle. Here Bitcoin Education Project's Charles Hoskinson explains why Bitcoin is just another, albeit special, payment option.
-
Oct. 7, 2013
Shutting down the government isn't the right way to ditch the Affordable Care Act; it's time to draft legislation from scratch, argues Larry Kotlikoff and Vikram Mansharamani.
-
Oct. 4, 2013
Bitcoin, a digital currency, has appealed to high-tech skeptics of government-issued money, as well as global criminals who are eager and able to capitalize on a totally free market. But mainstream investors are taking notice. Paul Solman reports on the potential, advantages and risks of this crypto-currency.
-
Oct. 1, 2013
October 1 was the opening day nationwide for new health care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act. But Massachusetts has been using its own online insurance marketplace since 2006. How has that program fared in the Bay State? Economics correspondent Paul Solman explores the Massachusetts model.
-
Sept. 27, 2013
Eric Glatt, who sued Fox Searchlight Pictures over his unpaid internship working on "Black Swan," explains how animals have a stronger lobby than interns in the film industry.
-
Sept. 26, 2013
Legally, unpaid interns can't displace regular paid workers, doing real work for no pay. So why have unpaid internships have become so pervasive? Economics correspondent Paul Solman talks to some former interns frustrated with not being paid for work duties that went beyond learning, as well as others who found positive values.
-
Sept. 23, 2013
Under the Affordable Care Act, employers who have at least 50 full-time employees are mandated to provide affordable insurance or pay a penalty. Most employers already comply, but some business-owners, especially in the restaurant industry, argue it will be a major burden. Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports.
-
Sept. 13, 2013
With Congress dueling over spending plans ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline to avert a government shutdown, Mark Rosenman makes the case for a new revenue-generating measure: a financial transaction tax.
-
Sept. 6, 2013
Employers added 169,000 new jobs in August and official unemployment slid from 7.4 to 7.3 percent. Economics correspondent Paul Solman gets analysis from economist Lisa Lynch of Brandeis University, who says the employment report is a mixed bag that shows that most jobs being added to the economy are low-paying.
-
Sept. 5, 2013
Berkshire County in Massachusetts has taken "buy local" to a whole new level by creating their own currency. The BerkShare is now accepted by some 400 businesses throughout that region. Economics correspondent Paul Solman explores advantages for both consumers and storefronts.
-
Sept. 5, 2013
Local businesses surviving on their community? Not so unusual. But businesses making transactions with a local paper currency? A little different. In this web video exclusive, Paul Solman visits two graphic artists who rely on "BerkShares," the local currency of Berkshire County, Massachusetts.
-
Sept. 2, 2013
On this Labor Day, how do Americans view labor unions? And on a day when we celebrate not working, who is working? We look at the 20 fastest-growing professions in America and what they may say about our country.
-
Aug. 28, 2013
Worker ownership was a dream of alternative business types in the '60s and '70s: a fusion of competition and cooperation. It is not, however, a thing of the past.
-
Aug. 22, 2013
Forty percent of young American adults are jobless, yet businesses bemoan a labor shortage. South Carolina, of all places, is bridging the gap.
-
Aug. 22, 2013
We examine virtual reality, as it will soon be available in stores, and the irrational terrors and sublime pleasures that it promises to bring with it.
-
Aug. 2, 2013
July's jobs report showed that employers added only 162,000 new jobs last month, a sign that the recovery may be slowing down. Economics correspondent Paul Solman breaks down the latest numbers and looks at what they mean for the long-term outlook for the U.S. economy.
-
Aug. 2, 2013
Reagan economist Arthur Laffer says states with low income tax rates grow faster, and some governors have pushed to lower or eliminate their state income taxes. Recent research disputes Laffer. Who’s right? Eminent tax economist Joel Slemrod weighs in.
-
Aug. 2, 2013
July's official unemployment rate and our more inclusive "Solman Scale U-7" rate decreased, but why?