Economy

The U.S. economy is slowing as fewer immigrant workers come to fill jobs

6:36pm December 21, 2021

by Joel Rose

The U.S. economy is missing more than 1 million immigrant workers because of the pandemic and Trump-era cuts. Some say that's slowing down industries that depend most on immigrants, like trucking.

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It may be more lucrative to invest in collectible LEGO sets than in gold, study finds

5:39pm December 21, 2021

LEGO, the world's largest toy maker, is quietly building its reputation as a good investment as select unopened Lego sets have an average annual return of 11%. That's more than gold.

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Stocks drop as fears about the omicron variant reach Wall Street

5:13pm December 20, 2021

by David Gura

Stocks dropped as investors worried about how the omicron variant would impact the global economy after several countries imposed restrictions.

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Economy

What an interest hike would mean for credit card holders, mortgages, student loans

8:19am December 20, 2021

NPR's A Martinez asks Michelle Singletary, personal finance columnist for The Washington Post, about what the Federal Reserve's plan to consider raising interest rates means for your wallet.

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"I could be out next week without a place to live," Mary Hunt worried when an NPR reporter visited. Hunt doesn't own the piece of land, making Havenpark Communities free to tell her to get out.

How the government helps investors buy mobile home parks, raise rent and evict people

2:26pm December 18, 2021

Investors and companies are swooping in to buy mobile home parks. They raise fees and rents, and evict people who can't pay — using billions of dollars' worth of low interest, government-backed loans.

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Inflation may be worse in our heads than in reality

8:13am December 18, 2021

by Scott Simon

Scott Simon speaks with University of Chicago economist Stefan Nagel about the psychological effects of inflation.

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Economy

The economy is on edge as COVID-19 cases rise

8:13am December 18, 2021

by Scott Horsley

Rising coronavirus cases are forcing the cancellation of sporting events, Broadway shows and in-person meetings. Economic fallout from the new omicron variant could come next.

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Nicole Howson and her family stand in front of their new home in Griffin, Ga. Clockwise: Nicole Howson, Israel Epps, Talysa Epps and Latroun Epps.

Economy

In a hot market, you can buy a home with cash — even if you don't have a lot of it

7:07am December 18, 2021

by Chris Arnold

A cash offer is hard to beat. It used to be that only wealthy people and investors had the money. But now some lenders are helping the rest of us do it too, even if you don't actually have the cash.

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Striking Kellogg's workers stand outside the Omaha, Neb., cereal plant on, Dec. 2. The company reached a new tentative agreement on Thursday, with its 1,400 cereal plant workers that could bring an end to the strike that began Oct. 5.

Kellogg's workers will vote on another tentative deal, but the strike may still go on

5:57pm December 17, 2021

by Becky Sullivan

Union negotiators and company officials have reached another possible deal to end the months-long strike by 1,400 workers — but there are signs of opposition to the agreement.

Trucks haul shipping containers at the Port of Los Angeles on Nov. 24, just ahead of the semiofficial start of the holiday season. For much of the country, trucking is the only freight option.

The White House aims to boost the ranks of the pandemic-strained trucking industry

10:11am December 16, 2021

by Alana Wise

The plan is part of the Biden administration's efforts to improve the nation's ongoing supply chain problems.