ECONOMY

The study did reveal widespread disparity in upward mobility based on geography. For those hoping to climb the economic ladder, San Francisco is one of the best places to live, the study found.

Study: Upward Mobility No Tougher In U.S. Than Two Decades Ago

5:32pm January 24, 2014

by Jim Zarroli

Contrary to widespread belief, it's no harder to climb the economic ladder now than a generation ago. But the study did find that moving up that ladder is still a lot harder in the United States than in other developed countries.

Queue Listen Now

One of the questions before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday is whether non-union members must pay for negotiating a contract they benefit from.

A Union For Home Health Aides Brings New Questions To Supreme Court

12:40pm January 21, 2014

by Nina Totenberg

An Illinois case examines whether states may recognize a union for workers who care for disabled adults in their homes instead of state institutions, and whether non-union members must pay for a contract they benefit from.

Queue Listen Now

Donors Pitch In To Protect Detroit's Art And Pensions

11:35am January 18, 2014

Under a deal mediated by a federal bankruptcy judge, a group of local and national foundations this week pledged more than $330 million to help Detroit's pension fund and protect the city's valuable art collection. Bio-chemical entrepreneur Paul Schaap is one of the donors; he speaks with NPR's Lynn Neary about the effort.

Queue Listen Now

In The Long Wait For Aid From Washington, Job Hunters Despair

6:20pm January 17, 2014

by Tovia Smith

After failing to agree upon an extension for federal jobless benefits to the long-term unemployed, Congress is vowing to keep trying. The help can't come soon enough for many of the 1.4 million unemployed who saw their checks suddenly cut off last month.

Queue Listen Now

Protesters in San Francisco block a Google bus, which shuttles employees from the city to its location in Silicon Valley.

Economy

Hackers? Techies? What To Call San Francisco's Newcomers

4:59pm January 17, 2014

by Geoff Nunberg

Linguist Geoff Nunberg lives in the Mission and says young tech employees have been pouring into the neighborhood. But what to call these new residents? He says the term "techie" used to suggest a computer whiz with no social skills; now it suggests one with no social conscience.

Queue Listen Now

A woman hangs a National Industrial Recovery Act poster in the window of a restaurant.

The Birth Of The Minimum Wage In America

4:46pm January 17, 2014

by David Kestenbaum

For decades, the Supreme Court ruled that laws regulating things like wages and working conditions were unconstitutional. That changed during the Great Depression, when one of the justices switched sides, paving the way for the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Queue Listen Now

A Bet, Five Metals And The Future Of The Planet

11:24am January 08, 2014

by David Kestenbaum

Decades ago, amid fears of rapid population growth, a biologist and an economist made a bet about how many people the planet could sustain. Global population is now estimated to top 7.1 billion. So who won the famous bet?

Queue Listen Now

Economy

Former Banker Could Help Feds Learn More About Swiss Accounts

7:20am January 08, 2014

A Swiss banker has pleaded not guilty to charges he helped thousands of Americans evade paying their taxes. Raoul Weil was one of the top managers at UBS, a Swiss bank that helped nearly 20,000 Americans hide their assets in secret accounts.

Queue Listen Now

Health Care Costs Grew More Slowly Than The Economy In 2012

4:55pm January 07, 2014

by Julie Rovner

Health care costs grew at 3.7 percent in 2012, the fourth year of a trend of smaller annual increases. The Obama administration says that the Affordable Care Act is a factor. But the actuaries who wrote the report beg to differ, saying the recession is a more likely cause.

Queue Listen Now

Financial Benefits Of A College Degree Accumulate

8:03am January 06, 2014

by Ina Jaffe

It's been said that having more education usually leads to higher pay. A study suggests the advantage continues even into retirement years. That's in part because those with more education tend to stay in the work force longer.

Queue Listen Now