ECONOMY

Negotiators Are In Beijing For Talks On Ending U.S.-China Trade War

6:43am April 30, 2019

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has been suggesting that the U.S. and China are closing in on a trade deal. NPR's David Greene talks to Erin Ennis, of the U.S.-China Business Council.

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A Chinese-backed power plant under construction in 2018 in the desert in the Tharparkar district of Pakistan's southern Sindh province.

Why Is China Placing A Global Bet On Coal?

7:01pm April 29, 2019

China has taken dramatic steps to fight climate change, including shutting major coal power plants. But now it plans to build hundreds of coal plants abroad.

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U.S. Economy Grows 3.2% During First Quarter Of 2019

6:15pm April 26, 2019

by Scott Horsley

The U.S. economy started 2019 with a bang, growing at a better-than-expected rate of 3.2% in the first three months of the year.

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Economy

Commerce Department Report Shows Better-Than-Expected First-Quarter Growth

9:29am April 26, 2019

The U.S. economy grew at 3.2 percent in the first quarter, handily beating expectations. The economy's performance was boosted by strong consumer spending, business investment and trade.

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Shoppers wait in line at a Target store in Newport, Ky., on Nov. 29, 2018. Strong consumer spending boosted analysts' economic growth forecasts for the first quarter of 2019.

U.S. Economy Powers Ahead In First Quarter: 3.2% Growth

8:46am April 26, 2019

by Scott Horsley

The Commerce Department says the U.S. economy picked up steam in the first three months of the year. GDP grew at an annual rate of 3.2% in the first quarter, up from 2.2% at the end of 2018,

A Boeing employee works on the fuselage of a 737 Max 9 test plane at the company's factory in Renton, Wash., on March 14. Orders for durable goods jumped 2.7% last month, fueled in part by strong demand for commercial aircraft.

Aircraft Orders Jump, But Boeing 737 Max Grounding Could Trim U.S. Growth

5:44pm April 25, 2019

by Scott Horsley

The grounding of Boeing's 737 Max aircraft could pinch the economy, some analysts say. But the government reported that aircraft orders were strong enough last month to lift a key indicator.

In February, Justin Kelley was among the workers at about 1,000 Walmarts who learned that their jobs as people greeters would be eliminated. Like Kelley, many of them were workers with disabilities who found themselves in limbo.

'My Whole Life Is On Hold': As Walmart Eliminates Greeters, A Dream In Limbo

5:44pm April 25, 2019

by Alina Selyukh

Justin Kelley was among workers who learned their jobs as greeters would be cut. As the Floridian waited 49 days to hear if he could stay with Walmart, he worried he would have to give up his dream.

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Economy

Examining Congestion Pricing In Cities

5:12am April 25, 2019

New York City is rolling out a new solution to the problem of congestion, but questions remain about who exactly will foot the bill.

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Steven T. Johnson rents a bed at the PodShare in Hollywood, Calif. "When you don't own things, you don't have to keep track of them," he says. "You just show up."

The Affluent Homeless: A Sleeping Pod, A Hired Desk And A Handful Of Clothes

6:15pm April 23, 2019

by Sam Sanders

Many young people participate in the rental economy. They own less stuff than their parents' generation, and they rent or share a lot more. For some it's a choice; for others, a necessity.

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Protesters with NYC Fight for $15 gather in front of a McDonalds.

When does a minimum wage become too high?

6:30am April 23, 2019

by Greg Rosalsky

Does raising the minimum wage kill jobs? No. Not really. But it could. The hunt is on to find the magic number. Here's the evidence.