ECONOMY

The river banks in Sunderland here were once home to shipyards, but like the city's coal mines, they disappeared. In June, the voters of Sunderland voted by more than 60 percent to leave the European Union, even though it would put tens of thousands of lo

In Pro-Brexit English City, A Jobs Crisis Is Averted — But For How Long?

12:46pm December 30, 2016

by Frank Langfitt

The town of Sunderland, where jobs depend on a foreign employer, Nissan, voted resoundingly for Britain to leave the EU even though that could work against its economic interests.

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Striking McDonald's restaurant employees lock arms during nationwide "Fight for $15 Day of Disruption" protests.

Wages Are Increasing, But What's Behind It?

4:17pm December 29, 2016

by Yuki Noguchi

It has taken years since the Great Recession, but wages are showing signs of climbing — though not very quickly. Economists say there are reasons to believe wage growth could continue into 2017.

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Economy

2008 Bank Bailout Chief Has A Plan To Prevent The Need For Another One

6:30am December 29, 2016

by Jacob Goldstein

At 35, Neel Kashkari was in charge of the bank bailout program. He's now the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, and has a plan to make future bank bailouts much less likely.

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Many large-scale farms rely heavily on immigrant labor. And many farmers are opposed to Donald Trump's strong stance against illegal immigrant.

Big Battles Over Farm And Food Policies May Be Brewing As Trump Era Begins

3:30pm December 28, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump hasn't said much about food and farm policy or named his choices for top food-related jobs. But the coming years will likely see profound battles over food and nutrition.

UCSF is laying off some of its IT staff and sending their jobs to a contractor with headquarters in India.

Outsourced: In A Twist, Some San Francisco IT Jobs Are Moving To India

9:35am December 28, 2016

by Sam Harnett

Companies in San Francisco pay six-figure salaries to entry-level tech workers. But a public university there is laying off some of its own IT staff and sending the jobs to a contractor in India.

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Economy

Evaluating Whether 2016 Was A Good Year For The U.S. Economy

6:22am December 28, 2016

For a check on the economy, Rachel Martin talks to David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center at the Brookings Institution and a contributing correspondent to The Wall Street Journal.

People celebrate New Year's in Madrid's Puerta del Sol square, on Jan. 1, 2011. Traditionally, the drinking doesn't begin until after midnight, when people eat 12 grapes for good luck.

In Spain, New Year's Eve Is All About The Grapes — Save The Bubbly For Later

7:18pm December 27, 2016

by Lauren Frayer

As the clock strikes midnight, people in Spain gobble 12 grapes in quick succession, with wishes for the new year. Then, they go out to party all night long with cava, a Spanish sparkling white wine.

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Economy

Episode 744: The Last Bank Bailout

2:27pm December 27, 2016

The man who ran the last bank bailout has a plan to prevent the next one.

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A sign is seen outside a bail bondsman across the street from Mercer County criminal courthouse on Oct. 23, 2014, in Trenton, N.J.

New Jersey Banking On Shift From Bail Money To Risk Assessment

5:27am December 27, 2016

by Joel Rose

Next month, courts in New Jersey will all but stop using a money-based bail system. Advocates say the new approach is fairer to poor defendants, and could be a national model. But what about the cost?

November Sees Biggest Home Sale Surge In Almost A Decade

8:56am December 25, 2016

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks to Nationwide Mutual Chief Economist David Berson about what's behind the recent rise in home sales.