With salaries rising, how much do minimum wage increases matter?

Jan 4, 2023
Private-sector wages are up about 5% over the past year. But gains guaranteed by government can't be lost during an economic downturn.
Workers in low-wage sectors like fast food have gained higher pay in the hot job market.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

A hot labor market is good, right? So why could it lead to a recession?

Jan 3, 2023
Economists say millions of unfilled jobs could limit economic growth.
"We just do not have enough people to fill all those job openings," said Iowa State professor Peter Orazem.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Indiana group helps mothers recently released from prison find housing and jobs

Jan 3, 2023
Mothers on the Rise shows women how to navigate challenges that can arise for people with prison records.
From left, Savannah May, a formerly incarcerated mother, meets with Ashley Mager, project coordinator of Mothers on the Rise, to check in about work, supplies for May's toddler son and other concerns.
Alisa Roth

Job gains for people with disabilities are outpacing those for other groups, thanks to telework

Dec 7, 2022
People with disabilities have long asked to work from home, says Nicole Maestas of Harvard. The pandemic proved it can be done.
Increased telework opportunities have allowed people with disabilities to make employment gains.
Christophe Archambault/AFP via Getty Images

Job churn is settling back to pre-pandemic levels

Dec 2, 2022
A lot of people have been quitting their jobs ever since the pandemic started, thanks in part to the tight labor market. But lately, there are signs that job churn could be returning to its pre-pandemic level.
Job churn has been up since the pandemic started, as many people quit or changed jobs.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The challenge of finding work after incarceration

Oct 18, 2022
Getting a job with a record is hard, even in this labor market, says Robert Rooks, CEO of the non-profit REFORM Alliance.
Even in today's relatively hot job market, people who have served prison time may find it difficult to secure employment.
Octavio Jones via Getty Images

"People are just on their own": Inside one man's post-prison economic struggle

Oct 18, 2022
Noel Barrientos, now a Miami-based realtor, shares his struggles (and successes) of navigating the economy after being released from prison.
Noel Barrientos, now a Miami-based realtor, wrestled with  employment and parole fees in the months after being released from prison.
Courtesy Noel Barrientos

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Why job openings data might not mean what we think it means

Oct 17, 2022
JOLTS numbers can tell us about demand for workers. But the data doesn't say how hard employers are trying to hire somebody.
The Labor Department’s JOLTS report asks employers whether they’re “taking steps to fill a position.” But that can mean a lot of different things.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

An older worker tries to rediscover his place in a changing media industry

Oct 13, 2022
After taking personal time, Dan Lamont talks about finding work in editorial photography while dealing with ageism and a changing labor market.
"Creators are making peanuts compared to what they used to," said photojournalist Dan Lamont.
CatEyePerspective/Getty Images

What would the job market look like if there'd been no COVID pandemic?

Oct 7, 2022
Different in many ways. But not that different.
Because of the pandemic's health dangers, many baby boomers have left the labor force.
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