ECONOMY

Why China's Official Economic Numbers Shouldn't Be Trusted

1:30pm September 12, 2015

by David Kestenbaum

Economic news coming out of China often rattles or rallies global markets. But how reliable is that news? It turns out basic measures like Gross National Product may be far from accurate.

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Why Influx Of Migrants Could Be A Good Thing For Europe

2:30pm September 11, 2015

One argument holds that migrants arriving in Europe is good for countries with an aging labor force and vast government debt. Steve Inskeep talks to Oliver August of The Economist about this idea.

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The Latest American Export: Bankruptcy Laws

6:41pm September 10, 2015

by Stacey Vanek Smith

The U.S. has long made it easier for businesses to declare bankruptcy and move on than most of Europe. Many other countries thought these laws were too risky, but now they're copying those laws.

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Economy

The Pains And Salvation Of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

2:24pm September 10, 2015

by Stacey Vanek Smith

To business owners the word bankruptcy can mean failure. We visit a retailer in Charlotte, N.C., which tried to avoid the big failure. But bankruptcy might be the secret weapon of the U.S. economy.

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Surfing Brand Quiksilver Files For Chapter 11 Protection

7:16am September 10, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The maker of sporting apparel and gear announced that it had entered into a plan to reduce its debt by more than $500 million.

Puerto Rico's Governor Announces Plan To Reduce $72 Billion Debt

6:58pm September 09, 2015

by Greg Allen

Puerto Rico's governor has announced a plan to reduce the island's $72 billion debt and restore fiscal stability through cutting spending and increasing tax collections. But it also depends on help from Washington, D.C., and renegotiating debt terms with lenders. Unless there's action, Puerto Rico says it will run out of cash by June.

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President Obama meets with student finalists of the Intel Science Talent Search 2011 competition in the East Room of the White House.

Intel Ending Sponsorship Of Prestigious Science Contest For High School Students

2:49pm September 09, 2015

by Brakkton Booker

Intel has been the corporate sponsor of the Science Talent Search since 1998. This year the company gave out more than $1 million in prize money.

United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek Resigns Amid Federal Investigation

8:28pm September 08, 2015

by David Schaper

The CEO and two other high ranking officials at United Airlines resigned Tuesday in the midst of an internal and federal investigation.

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Inmates Ted Stancil (from left), Steven Bass and Christopher Peeples, with their welding Instructor Jeremy Worley (standing in center) at Walker State Prison in Georgia. The inmates are working toward a welding certificate.

Amid A Shortage Of Welders, Some Prisons Offer Training

3:22pm September 08, 2015

by Susanna Capelouto

Baby boomers with the skill are retiring and not enough young people are replacing them. In Georgia, inmates are given access to heavy tools and blowtorches so they can get a welding certificate.

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President Obama has signed an executive order that requires federal contractors to offer their employees up to seven days of paid sick leave per year.

Obama Orders Federal Contractors To Provide Paid Sick Leave

11:34am September 08, 2015

by Bill Chappell

"This will give about 300,000 working Americans access to paid sick leave for the first time," President Obama said after signing an executive order.