Apr 04 Can U.S. Product Makers Manufacture a Profit? By Paul Solman Paul Solman answers questions from NewsHour viewers and web users on business and economic news most days on his Making Sen$e page. Here's Monday's query: Name: Paul Menzel Question: I understand that it is more profitable for… Continue reading
Apr 01 March Unemployment: Barely Budging By Paul Solman One brief comment on the jobs numbers. The net addition of 216,000 jobs, from the so-called payroll survey, is respectable. But the "household survey" reports roughly the same number of unemployed Americans: 13.5 million. You can't tell a lot from… Continue reading
Mar 31 The Madness of Sports Betting: Economics Edition By Paul Solman Editor's Note | If you're one of the millions of Americans who filled out a college basketball national championship bracket this year, odds are you're out of luck. ESPN reports that only two brackets out of over 5.9… Continue reading
Mar 31 Coming Up on Making Sen$e: The Fate of America’s Veterans Looking For Work By Paul Solman Editor's Note: On Friday's NewsHour: an eye-opening look at the fate of many veterans attempting to transition back into a tough job market. Today, there are over two million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And… Continue reading
Mar 30 Making Sen$e: Are American Workers Overpaid? By Paul Solman Paul Solman answers questions from NewsHour viewers and web users on business and economic news most days on his Making Sen$e page. Here's Wednesday's query: Name: Alex Question: Maybe it's my background as a college instructor (and… Continue reading
Mar 29 Making Sen$e Tool$ Tuesday: How States Measure Up By Paul Solman According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the nation grew almost ten percent over the last decade -- from 281.4 million in 2000 to 308.7 million in 2010. The country's racial mix has shifted, too. The number of people that… Continue reading
Mar 28 Economic Forecasts: Crow or Eat Crow By Paul Solman Paul Solman answers questions from NewsHour viewers and readers about business and economic news most days on his Making Sen$e page. Here's Monday's query: Name: Dr. Gene Audette Question: Every year it's prognostications, prognostications. But seldom do… Continue reading
Mar 25 The Shirtwaist Factory Fire: 100 Years Later By Paul Solman On the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, NewsHour economics correspondent Paul Solman answered a reader's comment about the need to remember what happened that day. Richard R. Palmer: March 25 is the 100th anniversary of the Triangle… Continue reading
Mar 24 Income Inequality: Where Do You Fall? By Paul Solman Updated March 25, 2011 at 1:33 p.m. with a fixed link to the Slate interactive. Income inequality has changed over time: today the richest 1 percent of Americans hold about 24 percent of U.S. wealth. But almost a century ago… Continue reading
Mar 23 The Effects of Oil Production Turmoil: What We Pay For At The Pump By Paul Solman Ever wonder why a gallon of gas will cost $3.21 today, $3.12 yesterday and maybe $3.79 next week? The price of the gas at the pump fluctuates mainly with the price of crude oil, plus a time lag. The price… Continue reading