Economy

Jobs Growth Slows Dramatically In May

8:50pm June 03, 2016

by John Ydstie

The Labor Department says in May, employers added just 38,000 workers to payrolls. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had forecast the report would show 158,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent, but only because so many people dropped out of the workforce. Forecasters had expected the unemployment rate to hold steady at 5 percent.

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Tomatoes from Canada, Mexico and Florida

The Search For Tastier Supermarket Tomatoes: A Tale In 3 Acts

12:52pm June 03, 2016

by Dan Charles

Supermarket tomatoes have a terrible reputation. But the industry is evolving. More than half of supermarket tomatoes now are grown in greenhouses or "shade houses," and flavor is improving.

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Economy

Mixed Employment News: Job Growth Slowed In May; Joblessness Dropped

10:17am June 03, 2016

Job growth was at a crawl in May, according to the government's monthly report released Friday; only 38,000 new jobs were added to payrolls. But unemployment fell to it's lowest level since 2007.

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Economy

Is The Economy Adding Jobs At A Steady Clip? Report Will Offer A Clue

9:32am June 03, 2016

by John Ydstie

On Friday, the Labor Department releases May's jobs report. It's the final report before the Federal Open Market Committee's next meeting, at which some expect the federal funds rate will be raised.

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A Job News USA employee directs job seekers to a career fair at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Ky., on May 18. New figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the number of workers who would like to work full-time but can find only

U.S. Economy Adds Just 38,000 Jobs In May, Far Short Of Expectations

9:20am June 03, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

Economists had anticipated 160,000 new jobs, even factoring in a large strike by Verizon employees. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate declined because of people dropping out of the workforce.

Payday lender ACE Cash Express is seen on San Mateo Boulevard in Albuquerque, N.M. High-interest lending practices are being targeted by new federal regulations.

New Rules To Ban Payday Lending 'Debt Traps'

2:47pm June 02, 2016

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday is announcing proposed regulations that aim to stop some predatory lending practices.

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Mosaic seized about $20,000 from Keith Herie's wages over the course of eight years. When NPR and ProPublica published their story in 2014, he still owed $26,000. Mosaic later offered to settle for $8,300, and Herie accepted.

Nonprofit Hospital Forgives Debts And Stops Suing So Many Poor Patients

8:00am June 02, 2016

Scrutiny by Sen. Charles Grassley and an investigation by NPR and ProPublica led a Missouri hospital to give $17 million in debt relief. Will other nonprofit hospitals follow suit?

Documents Reveal High-Pressure Sales Environment Inside Trump University

7:42pm June 01, 2016

by Jim Zarroli

A federal judge released hundreds of documents related to Trump University, which is being sued for fraud. They show a high-pressure sales environment where employees were taught how to keep selling expensive packages of real estate classes, even when customers balked.

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Economy

On-Demand Services Challenge AAA's Roadside Assistance Program

6:33pm June 01, 2016

by Aarti Shahani

AAA is one of the best-known names in roadside assistance. Start-up companies now change flat tires, charge batteries and tow cars on demand. And this new model is making AAA rethink its business.

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Obama Returns To Booming Elkhart To Highlight Manufacturing Jobs

5:29pm June 01, 2016

by Marilyn Geewax

The president went back to the Indiana town to highlight its economic rebound. Since he first visited in early 2009, the unemployment rate has plunged from about 19 percent to around 4 percent.