Jan 16 Unemployment insurance doesn’t just help the unemployed By Simone Pathe We often hear how unemployment insurance will affect recipients. But a new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that social insurance can have a stabilizing effect on the housing market in times of crisis, not just… Continue reading
Jan 09 We’re adding jobs like it’s 1999, but American workers just can’t get a raise By Simone Pathe The final unemployment report of 2014, released Friday morning, ended a solid year of payroll gains. But despite December's additional 252,000 jobs and the lowest unemployment rate since 2008, wages aren't rising. In fact, average hourly earnings fell in December,… Continue reading
Dec 25 Watch 6:20 Banning ‘the box’ to give ex-convicts a better chance at finding a job By PBS News Hour Many employers require job applicants to disclose any criminal history, often preventing those with a record from reentering the workforce. But Illinois is one of a number of states working to change this, with a new law prohibiting employers from… Continue watching
Dec 08 Good news for the Affordable Care Act in jobs reports By Dean Baker In the wake of November's jobs report, Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, argues that the Affordable Care Act is allowing more young parents to choose to stay at home with their kids. Continue reading
Dec 05 What’s the most reliable indicator of monthly job gains? By Simone Pathe Friday's jobs report showed a surprisingly high 321,000 jobs were added in November. Inspiring even more good cheer, however, average hourly earnings for private nonfarm payrolls actually rose 9 cents last month. Continue reading
Nov 14 Watch Atlantic City shuffles for business as casino luck runs out By PBS News Hour Casinos have been Atlantic City’s lifeblood. Now, they’re bottoming out at alarming rates -- four have already closed this year, leaving thousands unemployed. Economics correspondent Paul Solman explores the gamble that elevated Atlantic City in its prime, and how residents… Continue watching
Nov 09 If the economic news is good, why did voters say it’s bad? By Simone Pathe Two-thirds of voters told exit pollsters last week that the economy was getting worse. And yet, Friday's jobs report marked the ninth straight month of job gains over 200,000 and the lowest unemployment rate since the summer of 2008. Continue reading
Nov 07 The startling fact you, we and Paul Krugman didn’t know about the jobs report By Simone Pathe October's payroll gains were slightly lower than expected at 214,000, but average six-month gains continued to suggest a strong recovery. You might be surprised to learn, however, that those payroll gains don't just reflect full-time jobs. They also include part-time… Continue reading
Oct 24 This is why the recession still hurts By Simone Pathe The American economy is still feeling the effects of the 2008 financial crisis. A new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research analyzes the largest components of America's declined output -- from lost investment to lower labor force participation… Continue reading
Oct 03 A two-tiered jobs report for a two-tiered economy By Simone Pathe With the unemployment rate dipping below 6 percent for the first time since the summer of 2008, and payroll gains of 248,000, September's headline employment data points to a real economic recovery -- with jobs. But last month wasn't so… Continue reading