Economy

So Far, So Good For The Economy. But What About The Second Half?

5:36pm July 02, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

The Labor Department's June report showed decent job growth, with unemployment dipping to 5.3 percent. In fact, 2015's first half was fairly good. But economists see dangers lurking in the back half.

Historic Vote May Determine Whether Greece Remains In The Eurozone

3:42pm July 02, 2015

by Chris Arnold

Greek voters on Sunday face a referendum on further austerity measures in exchange for bailouts. But the unstated question is whether Greece should give up the euro.

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Germans Express 'Frustration' With Greece For Stalling Bailout Deal

3:42pm July 02, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with German journalist Roman Pletter, economics and business editor with Die Zeit newspaper, about the German leadership and perspective on the Greek crisis.

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Bianca Medici (left), a corporate recruiter for CDM Media, speaks with job applicants during a Chicago job fair in May. The economy added 223,000 jobs in June, and unemployment fell to its lowest rate since 2008.

Unemployment Rate Falls To 5.3 Percent, But For The Wrong Reason

1:46pm July 02, 2015

by Avie Schneider

The economy keeps adding jobs at a steady pace, including 223,000 in June, but the Labor Department report for last month shows more people are also leaving the labor force and wages are not rising.

Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras attends an emergency Parliament session for the government's proposed referendum in Athens on June 27.

Why We Shouldn't Be Surprised By Greece's Impasse With Europe

1:27pm July 02, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was elected on the promise of renegotiating the regimen of austerity imposed on Greece by its creditors. And Europe warned him it expected Greece to repay its debts.

Economy

In June Jobs Report, Positive Numbers Belie Frustrations Beneath Surface

11:17am July 02, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

Employers added 223,000 jobs in June, and the unemployment rate fell to 5.3 percent. But wage growth was flat, and the drop in the unemployment rate had a lot to do with people leaving the workforce.

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Jobs Report Expected To Show 'Stronger Momentum' In Economy

8:16am July 02, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

Economists surveyed by Reuters are predicting that employers added about 230,000 jobs to their payrolls in June. That's less than the month before but still a pretty strong showing.

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How Mississippi Defaulted On $7 Million Worth Of Bonds In 1841

6:22pm July 01, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Clifford Thies, a professor of economics and finance at Shenandoah University, about Mississippi's unpaid bonds from the 1840s and collecting on old state-owed debt.

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Greece Moves Forward With Referendum On Proposed Bailout

6:22pm July 01, 2015

by Joanna Kakissis

The Greek government's latest attempt to reopen talks with the EU seems to have fallen on deaf ears, while Greeks seem even more confused about what they will be voting for in Sunday's referendum.

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Puerto Rico Says With Restructuring It Can Pay Off Debts

6:22pm July 01, 2015

NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with Luis Vega Ramos, representative of Puerto Rico, about the commonwealth's debt deadline Wednesday. The governor says the island's $73 billion debt is unpayable.

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