Economy

States Not Waiting To Close Gender Wage Gap

8:45am February 06, 2016

by Jennifer Ludden

Efforts to close the pay gap between men and women have gone nowhere in Congress, but states are forging ahead with a string of equal pay laws. And new proposals are being debated in two dozen states.

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After Cruz Win, How Important Is Candidate Stance On Ethanol?

8:28am February 06, 2016

by Clay Masters

Ted Cruz won the Iowa Republican Caucuses on a platform that included opposing ethanol, a key Iowa industry. Does this mean future presidential candidates won't have to support the corn fuel?

Unemployment May Be Dropping, But It's Still Twice As High For Blacks

8:31pm February 05, 2016

by Sonari Glinton

The jobless rate fell is at an eight-year low, the government reported today. But for blacks, the rate is still 8.8 percent — a bit lower than worst unemployment whites experienced in the recession.

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A worker is shown last month at the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Warren Stamping Plant in Warren, Mich.

Obama Celebrates 'Durable Economy' As Unemployment Drops Below 5 Percent

2:35pm February 05, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

The January jobs report indicated unemployment was at 4.9 percent, the lowest rate since the recession. But the U.S. only added 151,000 jobs, missing economists' expectations of 190,000 new jobs.

Economy

Jobless Rate Dipped To 4.9 Percent In January

10:44am February 05, 2016

by John Ydstie

After a hiring spree in the final three months of 2015, U.S. employers added just 151,000 jobs last month.

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Economy

Rental Property Shortages Contribute To Record High Rents

6:55am February 05, 2016

A new report from the Commerce Department finds that rents have hit historic highs. Mary Louise Kelly talks to Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman about the state of the rental market.

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Royal Dutch Shell reported an 80 percent drop in earnings in 2015, but says it will still press ahead with the proposed mega-merger with BG Group plc.

With Oil Prices Languishing, Shell Reports 80 Percent Drop In Earnings

7:29pm February 04, 2016

by Laura Wagner

The company is the latest industry giant to report huge drops in earnings from 2014 to 2015. BP, Exxon and Chevron have also seen their revenues fall steeply.

Economy

Auction Fever: Buyers Share Tricks On How To Grab A Bargain

6:54pm February 04, 2016

by Keith Romer

Not everything can be sold like a box of cereal with a price tag on the side. If something needs to be sold right away, an auction might be the right approach. For buyers, auctions can be a great chance at a bargain, but only if they are wise to the tricks of the trade. Planet Money goes to an auction to scout out techniques.

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Chef Eric Ziebold (center left) works with his kitchen staff at CityZen in Washington, D.C., in 2012. CityZen closed in 2014 when Ziebold left to open his own restaurant.

'Chasing An Ideal,' World-Class Chefs Find Themselves Under Extreme Pressure

3:51pm February 04, 2016

by NPR Staff

Chef Eric Ziebold discusses the high-stakes world of luxe cuisine in the wake of the death of Benoit Violier, a French Swiss chef who many said was the best in the world.

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R&B singer Kem helps Mwamini Wallace carry bottled water to her vehicle in Flint, Mich., last month.

Michigan Governor Wants $30 Million To Help Pay Bills For Lead-Tainted Water

4:31pm February 03, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Flint residents are still being billed for water that's unsafe to drink. Tens of thousands of petitions have demanded a moratorium on residents' drinking water bills.