Economy
Job Searching While Black: What's Behind The Unemployment Gap?
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Income and wealth inequality is just about as American as baseball and apple pie. And although the economy has improved in the last few years, the unemployment rate for black Americans is about double that for whites.
Battered Jersey Shore Pins Recovery Hopes On Summer Season
Friday, May 24, 2013
Seven months after Hurricane Sandy slammed into the Jersey Shore, Asbury Park is still waiting for insurance and federal aid money. In the meantime, it borrowed $10 million to repair the waterfront in time for the critical Memorial Day weekend.
LA Bluejeans Makers Fear Their Business Will Fade Away
Friday, May 24, 2013
Los Angeles is home to a large slice of the world's bluejeans trade. But as the U.S. apparel industry continues to shrink, the city's high-end bluejeans business faces a threat. The European Union has imposed a nearly 40 percent tariff, which could cripple the city's jean business.
What Has Been Driving Stock Prices Up?
Friday, May 24, 2013
The U.S. stock market indices are up 15 percent so far this year. Renee Montagne talks to David Wessel, economics editor of The Wall Street Journal, about the week in stocks. What's behind the broader rally this year, and why did things get rocky this week?
Money Talking
Weekend Coffee Table: Money Talking Weekend Reading
Friday, May 24, 2013
Money Talking host Charlie Herman, regular contributor Rana Foroohar with Time magazine and Peter Fisher, senior director of the BlackRock Investment Institute, tell us what they’re reading this weekend.
Money Talking
Money Talking: Where Is the Economy Headed?
Friday, May 24, 2013
As we approach the summer, unemployment is falling, stocks are rising and housing is looking better than ever. Yet in the past few years, the economy has looked better at the start of the year, only to take a turn for the worse. Will the same happen in 2013?
Production Of New Vehicles Predicted To Hit 2002 Levels
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Strong new-vehicle sales lead industry analysts to revise their forecasts for North American production levels in 2013, with J.D. Power & Associates and LMC Automotive predicting 16 million units will be produced — a mark not hit since 2002.
Jobless Claims Drop, But Stay In Recent Range
Thursday, May 23, 2013
There was more of a decline than economists expected, but the weekly pace hasn't really changed much since late 2011.
When Will Fed Officials Ease Off The Accelerator?
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Wednesday that the central bank is not ready to scale back on economic stimulus. But he suggested the Fed may start to pare back bond purchases if the economy picks up momentum. Stocks fell following Bernanke's remarks.
Goldman Sachs Is Doing Well. So Is Its CEO, Lloyd Blankfein
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Big bank Goldman Sachs holds its annual shareholder meeting Thursday. Five years ago, during the financial crisis, Goldman's CEO Lloyd Blankfein was a poster boy for overpaid executives. To find out how much he is making now, Renee Montagne talks Neil Weinberg, editor in chief of American Banker.
Go East, Young Marijuana Dealer
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
A San Francisco dealer quadrupled his income by moving to New York after California legalized medical marijuana.
Bernanke: Economy Still Too Shaky To End Low Interest Rates
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Over the past several years, the Federal Reserve has added trillions of dollars to its balance sheet, purchasing bonds in order to stimulate the economy. Many investors have been concerned that when the Fed starts selling off those bonds it could create turmoil in the markets. But in congressional testimony Wednesday, Fed Chief Ben Bernanke said the Fed might not sell off those bonds at all.
Instead Of Snoozing In Savings, Let's Put $5,000 To Work
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
It's a hard time to be a saver. The return on a savings account doesn't even keep up with inflation, and that has led many savers to ask: What should I do with my money? NPR's Uri Berliner takes $5,000 out of his own personal savings and explores various investment opportunities.
Microsoft Reveals New Xbox One Game System
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Microsoft unveiled its new Xbox One Tuesday, displaying a device that takes new steps in game consoles' journey into becoming all-purpose entertainment and communication devices. The new console replaces the Xbox 360, which has been on the market for more than seven years.
Young People Cast Out Of Italy's Welfare System
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
In Italy, the youth jobless rate is nudging 40 percent, a record high in post-war history. Demographer Stefano Rosina says the Italian welfare system has always been skewed toward the middle-aged and elderly, leaving Italian youths with no political or trade union representation.
Apple's 'Complex Web' Helped It Avoid Taxes, Panel Finds
Monday, May 20, 2013
The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations said the tech giant claimed that three key offshore companies were not tax residents of Ireland or the U.S. One of those subsidiaries paid no taxes for the past five years while it reported income totaling $30 billion.
Poverty, Still Coming To A Suburb Near You
Monday, May 20, 2013
When you think about poverty, you might picture dilapidated urban neighborhoods or rural areas. But a new book says the rate of poverty in the suburbs has grown by 64 percent in the past decade, and doesn't show signs of stopping. Host Michel Martin speaks with Elizabeth Kneebone, author of Confronting Suburban Poverty.
Asian-Americans: Smart, High-Incomes And ... Poor?
Monday, May 20, 2013
Asian-Americans have the highest income and education levels of any racial group in the country. So it might be surprising that they have a higher poverty rate than non-Hispanic whites. Michel Martin discusses the issue with Algernon Austin of the Economic Policy Institute and Rosalind Chou, co-author of The Myth of the Model Minority.
Pledging Not To 'Screw It Up,' Yahoo Seals Deal For Tumblr
Monday, May 20, 2013
Yahoo will pay about $1.1 billion for the six-year-old blogging site. Tumblr's leadership won't change and Yahoo promises it will be independently operated.
Advocates Struggle To Reach Growing Ranks Of Suburban Poor
Monday, May 20, 2013
The number of poor people living in America's suburbs now surpasses those in cities or rural areas. Long focused on the urban poor, social service agencies are now trying to respond to the basic needs of a much more far-flung population.