Why are so many potential workers sitting on the sidelines in this economy?

Sep 21, 2017
The headline unemployment rate we report every month from the Labor Department has been consistently low. According to economists we’re at or near what’s considered full employment.Employers have a record number of job openings, about 6 million right now, and say they can’t find workers to fill them, especially in fields like manufacturing and construction. […]

"Whole professions could wink out of existence," a conversation on the future of work

Sep 15, 2017
As AI changes the nature of employment and professions, how does society adjust?
In his new book, "Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the World,” Cade Metz details the rebranding and rise of AI.
Isaac Lawrence/AFP/Getty Images

Been vacation shamed? It's on the rise

Sep 4, 2017
Millennials, who had a hard time finding jobs during the recession, are the least likely to take days off, a travel survey says.
Fewer than half of U.S. workers use their vacation days, a U.S. Travel Association survey says. Above, tourists sunbathe on the Magaluf beach in Mallorca.
David Ramos/Getty Images

What does it mean when the jobs number doesn’t meet expectations?

Sep 1, 2017
You may have heard today that the August headline jobs number “was below expectations,” or about 24,000 fewer jobs were created than the consensus among leading economists predicted. But how significant is that figure? The first release of the monthly job-creation number is an estimate accurate to plus or minus 119,000, according to the Bureau […]

Why do U.S. retraining programs fall short?

Sep 1, 2017
The programs for workers displaced by globalization are a half-hearted attempt to help.
Ken Garduno, Illustrator

When transportation barriers become economic barriers

Aug 18, 2017
The types of jobs that are open to residents of Erie City, Pennsylvania, can depend on their access to transportation.
Rhonda Glover and her youngest son Romeo, ride an Erie bus across town.
Erika Beras/Marketplace

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Do tax incentives pay off for states wooing employers?

Aug 10, 2017
Last month President Trump announced a deal with Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn to bring as many as 13,000 jobs to southeastern Wisconsin in exchange for $3 billion in tax breaks. Now legislative analysts are projecting the state won’t break even on that investment for more than 25 years. These sorts of mega-incentives to lure employers […]

Startup companies are the economy’s big job generators, and they need more access to capital

Aug 8, 2017
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has a study out today highlighting problems startups have getting financing. And the reason this matters? The report says startups account for “nearly all net new job creation” in the U.S. economy. For these companies to continue growing, they need to be able to access financing — and some are […]

Treating wastewater at the bottom of the world

Aug 8, 2017
"Just like the children's book 'Everyone Poops,' it's definitely the ultimate in job security."
Jeanne Sabin riding snowmobiles on Ross Island. 
Photo Courtesy Jeanne Sabin