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Today's May jobs report shows a slowing recovery and a rise in unemployment to 8.2% Dan Gross, columnist and economics editor at Yahoo! Finance, discusses the report, and how the US is trying to rework its economy for future success. His new book is Better, Stronger, Faster: The Myth of American Decline . . . and the Rise of a New Economy.

Economists consider workers between 25 and 54 to be in their prime, and fewer of them are working than at any point since 1948. That means America’s workforce is going through a dramatic shift. And so is the definition of the family breadwinner.

After losing their jobs, some Americans have been able to rebuild their careers after slight adjustments to their job descriptions.

Have you found a new job? Charlie Herman, WNYC business editor, reports that New York City added more jobs in the last four months than it had since the 1950s. Call in or post here with your positive economic indicators.

U.C. Berkely economist Enrico Moretti examines the factors reshaping America’s labor market—from globalization and income inequality to immigration and technology—and how these shifts are affecting our communities. His book The New Geography of Jobs draws on a wealth of stimulating new studies to outline policies that may address the social challenges that are arising.

New York City has the nation’s fastest growing tech sector — and there are now more than 1,000 web-based technology start-ups in the city. But these signs of success are also harbingers of a problem: a snowballing demand for scarce engineers.

One of the most heated debates about education these days largely revolves around the fallout of the recession: with higher unemployment and fewer jobs available, many are quick to blame college education for its lack of practical applications in the workforce. But is this fair? Liz Coleman, President of Bennington College, is trying to reorient what we expect of education, and how that relates to employment.

We had a great response to today's conversation about this year's crop of college graduates. Check out this collection of responses from viewers, who called, texted, and posted advice for those facing the job market for the first time.

May is the start of college graduation season, when the nation’s bright and ambitious college seniors step out into the workforce — or hope to. But last week’s job numbers show job growth is still weak, and many soon-to-be college grads may find themselves dealing with bleak prospects for the time being. Aaron Smith, co-founder and executive director of Young Invincibles, is on the last stop of a 21-state bus tour holding roundtable discussions with young people to brainstorm solutions to youth unemployment.

Looking at these numbers gives us a sense of the "Big Picture” of unemployment, and cements the idea that jobs will continue to be a crucial factor in U.S. elections for many years to come.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the release of the April jobs report on Friday will provide an important picture of the status of the recovery. Christine Fair, professor at the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University, and Charlie Herman, economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC Radio look at what's in store for the week.

The unemployment rate for newer veterans stands at 10.3 percent, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But for some, the job skills they gained in the military are translating into civilian jobs back home.  

Private employers in New York City hired more than 65,000 workers from February 2011 to February 2012 according to the New York State Department of Labor.  New figures released on Thursday also showed that during the same period, private companies in the state added over 138,000 jobs.

All week we’ve been hearing from listeners about their Great Recession stories. Some of you have lost jobs, while others have taken pay cuts or moved out-of-state in search of employment. And there are those of you who have created your own employment opportunities: the small business owners of the bunch.

But nothing comes easy when you start from a clean slate. Two Takeaway listeners join us who have ventured to create their own small businesses, while maintaining other part-time work in order to make ends meet.

We’ve been asking you to reach out and tell us how your job has changed since the great recession. Some of you have told us about unemployment spells while others have told us they couldn’t be more happy in their current employment. A number of you spoke of another issue: pay cuts.

"Today’s generation is literally going nowhere." That’s the argument Todd Buchholz and his daughter Victoria make in a recent Op-Ed published in The New York Times. Census Bureau data shows that the chance a 20-something will move to another state has fallen more than 40 percent since the 1980s. Meanwhile, the proportion of young adults living at home has nearly doubled. The Buchholzes say what we’re seeing is a shift in attitude — and that today, more than ever, young people are less willing to leave their hometowns to find better opportunities.

The nation’s unemployment rate held steady at 8.3 percent as the U.S. economy added 227,000 jobs in February. Revised data also found that 60,000 more jobs were created in December and January.

Dylan Ratigan, host of MSNBC's "The Dylan Ratigan Show" and author of Greedy Bastards: How We Can Stop Corporate Communists, Banksters, and Other Vampires from Sucking America Dry, discusses his trip around the country to talk to people who are creating innovative jobs as part of his 30 million jobs project.

More goods are being produced in American factories that in recent decades, but employment in those same facilities is falling. Adam Davidson, co-founder and co-host of Planet Money, a co-production of NPR and This American Life, discusses the decline of American manufacturing jobs and looks at why the jobs crisis will be so difficult to solve. He's the author of "Making It in America," in the January/February issue of The Atlantic.

Another positive signal for the economy today as it was revealed that the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent. The economy added 243,000 jobs, more than expected. What does this mean for the economic recovery? Joining the program is Kelly Evans from The Wall Street Journal.