A worker installs parts on a Chrysler SUV engine at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit. Plants in the U.S. are now operating above 90 percent capacity, but automakers are wary of adding large numbers of new workers.
U.S. Automakers Are On A Roll, But Hiring Is Slow And Steady
()Profits for the nation's carmakers are on the rise, but after years of doing more with less, higher profits are unlikely to translate into significant numbers of new jobs. There are eight fewer plants and hundreds of thousands fewer workers in the industry than before the Great Recession.
Amazon Cuts Ties In Minnesota Ahead Of New Sales Tax
Amazon ended contracts of people and businesses that are paid to send customers to the retailer.
()Business
Economists To G-8: Want Growth? Try This()
June 17, 2013 Economists hope the leaders of major economies gathering in Northern Ireland will discuss expanding global trade. Since interest rates can't be lowered much further, analysts say, trade will be a key catalyst for growth.
U.S.
Visa Exchange Program Draws Scrutiny Under Immigration Bill()
June 17, 2013 WSHUAs lawmakers consider a sweeping immigration bill, they are taking a close look at a decades-old exchange program popular with foreigners looking for summer jobs. Critics of the J-1 visa program say it can hurt U.S. job seekers at a time when youth unemployment is at 25 percent.
It's All Politics
How Rock 'N' Roll Can Explain The U.S. Economy()
June 15, 2013 In music, as in so many industries, the lion's share of the money now goes to a relative handful of top performers, says White House economic adviser Alan Krueger. He says the music business offers valuable lessons about America's "superstar economy."
The Two-Way
The Parking Spots That Cost More Than Half A Million Dollars()
June 14, 2013 Question: If the median price for a single-family home in Massachusetts is $313,000 and two Boston parking spaces sell for $560,000, how many other spaces does the buyer already have? Answer: Three.
Business
Housing Market Watchers Edgy As Mortgage Rates Keep Climbing()
June 14, 2013 The Federal Reserve's economic stimulus has helped keep mortgage rates at record lows in the years since the Great Recession. But rates are ticking upward, leaving some investors worried that the nascent housing recovery will suffer if the Fed unravels its policies too quickly.
Planet Money
When People Make Their Own Banks()
June 14, 2013 An ex-con lends money to people in need; a group of friends creates a savings club. Even without banks, people often figure out how to get the money they need, when they need it.
Business
Unpaid No More: Interns Win Major Court Battle()
June 13, 2013 A federal ruling against a major movie studio's use of unpaid interns could have a wide impact on uncompensated labor, including internships for college credit. Workers' advocates say many interns are preventing workers who can't afford to work free from entering the labor force.
The Two-Way
Positive Signs: Jobless Claims Drop, Retail Sales Rise()
June 13, 2013 There were fewer people applying for unemployment insurance last week. And in May, consumers spent more — particularly on cars.
Dollar For Dollar: Adventures In Investing
How To Invest In Real Estate Without Being A Landlord()
June 13, 2013 One of the simplest ways to invest in real estate is through a real estate investment trust. REITs generate income for investors by leasing commercial properties. As part of his quest to put $5,000 to work, NPR's Uri Berliner learns that what counts as real estate in a REIT keeps expanding.
U.S.
Immigration Bill May Keep Wage Exemption For Foreign Herders()
June 12, 2013 WPRNPeruvian shepherds on guest worker visas tend thousands of sheep in Wyoming, but they only make about half of what agricultural workers elsewhere are paid. Some ranchers say the exemption from minimum wage requirements is necessary; workers' rights advocates say it's exploitation.





