ECONOMY

Former Export-Import Bank Chairman On How 'Trade Is Not A Four-Letter Word'

4:22pm January 13, 2020

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Fred Hochberg, former chair of the Export-Import Bank, about his book Trade Is Not a Four-Letter Word: How Six Everyday Products Make the Case for Trade.

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Fires Threaten Australia's Economy

7:59am January 12, 2020

by Jim Zarroli

Australia's devastating wildfires are now threatening key parts of the country's economy, like farming and tourism.

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Women got the lion's share of new jobs in December and now outnumber men on U.S. payrolls. This unusual situation reflects the growth of industries like health care where women dominate.

Economy

Women Now Outnumber Men On U.S. Payrolls

6:38pm January 10, 2020

by Scott Horsley

Women got the lion's share of new jobs in December and now outnumber men on U.S. payrolls. This unusual situation reflects the growth of industries like health care where women dominate.

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Workers assemble cars at Ford's newly renovated assembly plant in Chicago. Factories lost 12,000 jobs in December. The manufacturing sector has been hard hit by the trade war as well as slowing demand overseas.

Economy

U.S. Job Growth Cools In December As Employers Add 145,000 Jobs

5:09pm January 10, 2020

by Scott Horsley

December's job growth is down slightly from the three previous months, when employers added an average of 200,000 jobs. But the unemployment rate held steady at 3.5%, matching a 50-year low.

A new survey of Americans across all income brackets captures some surprising views about the experience and expectations of economic success in the U.S. today.

Is There Hope For The American Dream? What Americans Think About Income Inequality

5:27pm January 09, 2020

by Joe Neel

A new survey of Americans across all income brackets captures some surprising views about their economic experience and expectations of success.

Patient health record form with stethoscope

Richest Republicans View Health Care Far Differently Than Poorest, NPR Poll Finds

11:59am January 09, 2020

by Danielle Kurtzleben

The survey, from NPR and partners, shows how the "1%" compare with others on issues including inequality, health care access and what it takes to get ahead in America.

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Airport employees, Uber and Lyft drivers, and other workers protest for a $15 minimum wage at Los Angeles International Airport in October. Increases in minimum wages contributed to bigger pay gains for lower-income workers.

Economy

Minimum Wage Hikes Fuel Higher Pay Growth For Those At The Bottom

8:37am January 09, 2020

by Scott Horsley

Wages rose faster for low-income workers than for any other group in 2019. The gains are partly explained by the tight labor market. But increases in minimum wages also contributed to the gains.

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Raising the minimum wage by $1 or more appears to have a protective effect against suicide, especially in times when unemployment is high and it's hard to find a job.

Raising The Minimum Wage By $1 May Prevent Thousands Of Suicides, Study Shows

5:05pm January 08, 2020

by Graison Dangor

Paying minimum wage workers $1 more per hour might save lives, according to new research. The increases appear to have the largest effect when unemployment is high.

Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders Campaigns in Iowa

On The Trail: It's An Election Year, Charlie Brown

1:28pm January 08, 2020

With less than a month until the Iowa caucuses, who is pulling ahead? And what's on the horizon in statehouses around the country?

Economics Still Has A Diversity Problem

9:30am January 07, 2020

by Greg Rosalsky

Despite decades of work, there's been little or no progress on increasing diversity in economics.