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Labor

What motivates companies to replace workers with machines?

by Stephanie Hughes
May 30, 2024
A labor shortage in manufacturing seems to be tempting them.
Jim Young/AFP via Getty Images
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National Debt

Commerce chief lays out blueprint for chip manufacturing in America

by Kai Ryssdal and Sarah Leeson
May 10, 2024
The supply chain is being built to reduce U.S. vulnerability and seize opportunities like artificial intelligence, Raimondo says.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo discussed chips, China and jobs with Marketplace's Kai Ryssdal in Washington.
Nancy Farghalli/Marketplace
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Auto workers union drive heads south

by Mitchell Hartman
May 7, 2024
The United Auto Workers are getting pushback from Southern Republicans, but gains in Detroit are driving interest in Alabama and elsewhere.
An office in a strip mall is headquarters for UAW organizing at the Mercedes-Benz complex in Vance, Alabama.
Mitchell Hartman/Marketplace
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Workers used to earn about two-thirds of the income their labor generates. Now, it's just over half.

by Nancy Marshall-Genzer
Apr 12, 2024
The stat, called labor share of national income, is being squeezed by globalization, declining union membership and automation.
Even though workers' slice of the pie is shrinking, the U.S. economy is growing, so they're getting a smaller slice of a bigger pie.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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Immigration has returned to pre-pandemic numbers. How does that affect the economy?

by Elizabeth Trovall
Feb 2, 2024
Population growth helps stabilize the economy by providing workers we need.
As more Americans retire, the need for workers in the healthcare sector will increase. Above, a stand at a job fair for jobs in health services.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
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Teens have "kept the economy going," and their workforce numbers show it

by Kai Ryssdal , Sarah Leeson and Sean McHenry
Jan 29, 2024
"About 37% of teens worked last year," says Abha Bhattarai of The Washington Post. "These teens are really excited," employers tell her.
Teen employment reached a 14-year high in 2023, according to the Labor Department.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
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Will labor unions maintain their momentum in 2024?

by Henry Epp
Dec 28, 2023
Unions are more visible and vocal than they've been in decades. If the labor market remains tight, they'll have negotiating leverage.
A United Auto Workers union hall in Chicago. The UAW's coordinated work stoppages made headlines and produced results in 2023.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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Content creator economy is everywhere, but labor data and protections are sparse

by Kai Ryssdal and Sean McHenry
Nov 9, 2023
The government has virtually no data on this mostly unregulated, $250 billion global industry, says Drew Harwell of The Washington Post.
"This is a market of millions of people around the world who work as creators or influencers," said Drew Harwell at The Washington Post.
Phillippe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images
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How much are employers paying for labor? That's where the ECI comes in.

by Sean McHenry
Oct 30, 2023
The employment cost index, a favorite Federal Reserve data point, captures the cost of employing people, including benefits.
The employment cost index doesn't just calculate wages. It also factors in how much employers spend on benefits.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
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In tight labor market, businesses practice "strategic retention"

by Elizabeth Trovall
Oct 26, 2023
Economists at the Dallas Fed reported some evidence of “labor hoarding” in the latest Beige Book.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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