Economy

Trader John Panin works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. U.S. stock markets fell as U.S.-China trade tensions grew.

Stock Markets Drop Amid Escalating Tariff Threats

5:16pm June 19, 2018

by Charlotte Norsworthy

Global stock markets fell in response to President Trump's threats to add another layer of tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods. Trade tensions are leaving investors uncertain, analysts say.

President Trump threatened to impose a new round of tariffs on China. Critics say the fallout is likely to cost tens of thousands of American jobs.

Trump Touts Economic Gains, As Trade War Looms

5:06pm June 19, 2018

by Scott Horsley

President Trump boasted of a improving economy in a speech to small-business owners Tuesday. But those gains could be jeopardized by his escalating trade battles.

Economy

The Measure Of A Tragedy

4:03pm June 19, 2018

Venezuela's economy has collapsed, and the normal economic indicators have gotten so bad they're almost unfathomable. So one economist created an indicator to capture the awful human cost.

Sukup Manufacturing Co.'s thriving factory outside tiny Sheffield, Iowa, gives the town an economic anchor. But that hasn't stopped the population numbers from slipping.

As Rural Towns Lose Population, They Can Learn To 'Shrink Smart'

11:03am June 19, 2018

by Frank Morris

Most remote towns are shrinking, whether they like it or not. But if they take inspiration from industrial Eastern Europe after the Cold War, they can improve even as they get smaller.

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U.S. Towns Along Canadian Border Are Caught Up In Tariff Dispute

7:42am June 19, 2018

by Zach Hirsch

With Canadian tariffs set to kick in on a range of products July 1, business leaders in a New York border city worry a decades-old economic partnership with Canada could unravel, costing U.S. jobs.

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An arrangement of pills of the opioid oxycodone-acetaminophen, also known as Percocet, in New York. A new report finds a link between workforce participation and the prescription rate of opioids in the U.S.

How The Opioid Crisis Is Depressing America's Labor Force

5:51pm June 18, 2018

by Samantha Raphelson

The U.S. lags behind other countries in workforce participation because more opioids are prescribed in this country, says a report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Economy

The Art Of The Trade War

5:09pm June 18, 2018

The U.S. and China are on track for a trade war. Economists generally say that's a bad idea... but if the U.S. wants to get tough on China, what are some alternatives?

Kathy Kraninger, left, is seen in a 2008 photo, during her tenure the as Department of Homeland Security Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy under Director Michael Chertoff, center.

President Trump To Tap Mulvaney Associate To Lead Consumer Bureau

11:11pm June 16, 2018

by Marie Andrusewicz

The White House says Trump plans to nominate Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Under Acting Director Mick Mulvaney, the CFPB has lost much of its watchdog role.

Looking At U.S. Trade With China

8:10am June 16, 2018

President Trump announced tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods. China says it will retaliate. NPR's Scott Simon talks to Dan Ikenson of the libertarian Cato Institute for his reaction.

Economy

Gettin' Giggy With It

4:28pm June 15, 2018

Despite the proliferation of apps like Lyft, TaskRabbit, and Uber, a new report found no growth in people primarily doing this kind of work. Here's how the "gig economy" is and isn't changing.