Jul 02 Watch 5:16 Labor participation has hit a 38-year low, and that's a problem By PBS News Hour In June, the U.S. economy added 223,000 jobs and unemployment fell to its lowest rate in seven years. But the proportion of Americans working or looking for work is now the smallest it’s been in nearly four decades, and wages… Continue watching
Jun 05 Watch 3:16 Unemployment rate goes up for all the right reasons By PBS News Hour The May jobs report was surprisingly strong. Employers added 280,000 jobs, marking a rebound from the year's first quarter and stemming fears of an economic cool down. Judy Woodruff learns more from Diane Swonk of Mesirow Financial. Continue watching
Jun 01 Is trickle-down economics science or scam? By Nick Hanauer In this column, venture capitalist Nick Hanauer critizes the theory that a higher minimum wage will cause increased unemployment. Going further, he suggests that economic theories in general are not science, but merely social and moral constructs. Continue reading
May 14 How Chinese millionaires buy U.S. citizenship By P. J. Tobia, Marina Lopes For this week’s Shortwave, PJ Tobia looks at the practice and pitfalls of EB-5 investor visa program, which is due to expire in September. Continue reading
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