May 08 April job growth blooms after harsh March By Making Sen$e Editor A bleak March labor report gave way to a brighter April, adding 223,000 jobs and dropping unemployment to a seven-year low. Continue reading
Apr 03 How much of March’s disappointing jobs report is just a blip? By Simone Pathe The economy added a disappointing 126,000 jobs in March. And while economists often caution that one month's data shouldn't be weighted too heavily, this latest jobs report comes on the heels of other news about slower economic growth. All of… Continue reading
Mar 17 Why you shouldn’t expect wages to rise any time soon By John Komlos For months, the thorn in the side of otherwise sunny jobs reports has been sluggish wage growth. As unemployment falls, wages are supposed to rise. Those expectations will likely play a role in the Fed's policy deliberations this week. But… Continue reading
Mar 06 Watch 6:39 Job gains continue, so why are wages stubbornly stagnant? By PBS News Hour February’s labor report came in with stronger growth than expected, with 295,000 jobs added last month and the lowest unemployment rate since the 2008 financial crisis. But wage growth continues to lag, with hourly earning rising just one tenth of… Continue watching
Mar 06 From homeowner to homeless, meet a victim of Florida’s ongoing foreclosure crisis By Simone Pathe Florida's foreclosure crisis isn't over. David, whose last name we're not using, used to have a job, a paycheck and a roof over his head. But days after he handed over the keys to his house for cash, he found… Continue reading
Mar 06 Wages are sore spot on strong February jobs report By Simone Pathe Despite harsh winter weather, the economy added 295,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate fell to its lowest since mid-2008. Those are signs of a recovering labor market that the Federal Reserve might use to justify an interest rate… Continue reading
Mar 04 Watch 6:45 Why homecoming can be particularly hard for female veterans By PBS News Hour In the return to civilian life, many women find that veteran services fall short of their needs. Unemployment rates for female veterans are higher than for other women, as well as for male veterans. Female veterans are at least twice… Continue watching
Feb 22 Watch 3:24 What will Wal-Mart’s wage hike mean for workers and the economy? By PBS News Hour Wal-Mart made news this week by announcing that it is raising the wages for its employees above the federal minimum wage of $7.23 an hour to $9 an hour and to $10 an hour next February. To discuss the broader… Continue watching
Feb 20 Will your job exist in the future, or will a robot have replaced you? By Simone Pathe In the long view of history, technological advancement unleashed by the Industrial Revolution has come to be seen as a net positive for economic development and everyone’s well-being, even those workers who initially lost their jobs. There’s reason to wonder,… Continue reading
Feb 06 Why a higher unemployment rate may be good news for the economy By Simone Pathe The unemployment rate increased from 5.6 to 5.7 percent in the first month of 2015, but economists greeted that as good news. Even more encouraging, the economy added 257,000 jobs in January and average hourly earnings were up 12 cents. Continue reading