Economy

223 Stories

Business

The price of some goods and services is still bringing Americans down

Gas prices are falling and employers are hiring but some good and services remain stubbornly expensive, resulting in mixed consumer sentiment.
Scott Horsley

Ayesha Rascoe
Business

Ghost jobs

Today's jobs report shows a slight rise in unemployment to 4%. And some frustrated job seekers are growing tired of applying for job after job with no replies, sometimes asking whether the listings are even real. And this isn't just vexing for applicants. It's also haunting economists when trying to figure out how much slack there is in the labor market, and whether interest rates should be raised or lowered. Today on the show: the rise of ghost jobs. Where they're happening and why. Related episodes: Not too hot, not too cold: a 'Goldilocks' jobs report The Beigie Awards: From Ghosting to Coasting For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
Darian Woods

Wailin Wong

Julia Ritchey

Kate Concannon
Economy

D.C.'s National Mall showcases housing solutions

From tiny homes to big ones built in hours, it’s a showcase to highlight new ways to make housing cheaper and more plentiful.
Economy

How to raise kids as thoughtful consumers in a materialistic world

This year is expected to see record spending as American gift spending closes in on $1 trillion. A huge chunk of that expenditure is likely to be on our children, but they also seem to be asking for more too.
Economy

Broadband subsidies for rural Americans are ending, putting telehealth at risk
Sarah Jane Tribble
Economy

Costco hot dogs have cost $1.50 since the 1980s. Here's why prices aren't changing
Rachel Treisman
Economy

Off the Charts: Seattle is the priciest tourist city in the U.S. Should you go to Portland instead?

KUOW compared tourist must-haves in Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver to find the most affordable city for tourists looking to get that Pacific Northwest experience this summer.
Teo Popescu
Education

Congrats to the class of 2024. Now, how are you going to get a job?

As the class of 2024 exits college and enters the workforce, the job market may not be exactly what they have been expecting. In fact, it can be rough out there. It might prompt some to question whether they should go for another major, or even a minor, to get an edge.
Sarah Leibovitz

Libby Denkmann
Economy

Why free money makes you more likely to get a job

Guaranteed basic income is an anti-poverty policy gaining traction in Washington cities. Tacoma just started its second basic income pilot, on the heels of a separate King County experiment. KUOW’s economy podcast, Booming, sat down with Natalie Foster, the architect of more than 130 basic income pilots across the country to understand a surprising finding from King County’s basic income experiment, and what it means for the policy more broadly.
Monica Nickelsburg
National

Buy-now, pay-later returns and disputes are about to get federal oversight

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is requiring buy-now, pay-later lenders to provide the same protections to shoppers as credit card companies do.
Alina Selyukh

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