State of the Economy

In this series

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-October 2019 Jobs Release
A man walks along a street in Lawrence, Massachusetts, which has struggled to find its economic base since the decline of manufacturing, August 2019. (Getty/Spencer Platt)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-October 2019 Jobs Release

Policymakers and economists must consider the gaps across regions, job sectors, races and ethnicities, and age groups when assessing the health of the economy.

Cuong Nguyen, Galen Hendricks, Michael Madowitz

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-March 2019 Jobs Release
Career fair attendees meet with prospective employers about job opportunities in Northglenn, Colorado, April 2017. (Getty/Joe Amon/The Denver Post)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-March 2019 Jobs Release

Policymakers and economists need to consider populations that face high labor market barriers when evaluating the health of the labor market.

Galen Hendricks, Daniella Zessoules, Michael Madowitz

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-December 2018 Jobs Release
Construction workers clean a rotary drilling auger at a building site in New York City, July 2018. (Getty/Robert Nickelsberg)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-December 2018 Jobs Release

When considering the economic priorities of the new year, it is essential that analysts and policymakers take into account a variety of indicators instead of overstating the health of the economy.

Daniella Zessoules, Michael Madowitz

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-November 2018 Jobs Release
Light reflects off a gold-plated seal inside the Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, D.C. (Getty/Brooks Kraft)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-November 2018 Jobs Release

The Federal Reserve should calibrate policy toward maximizing the health of an economy that is still recovering for many people.

Daniella Zessoules, Galen Hendricks, Michael Madowitz

The State of the Labor Market for Latinas: Pre-October Jobs Day Release
Job seekers fill out registration forms before entering a career fair in San Francisco, June 2015. (Getty/Justin Sullivan)
Article

The State of the Labor Market for Latinas: Pre-October Jobs Day Release

Evaluations of the health of the labor market should center the challenges of Latinas and other populations that face high labor market barriers.

Daniella Zessoules, Galen Hendricks, Michael Madowitz

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-August 2018 Jobs Release
Teachers and supporters strike outside their high school in Pueblo, Colorado, May 2018. (Getty/RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-August 2018 Jobs Release

On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its Employment Situation Summary for the month of August. Here’s how teachers are faring.

Galen Hendricks, Daniella Zessoules, Michael Madowitz

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-April 2018 Jobs Release
A woman shops for fresh fruit, September 2017. (Getty/Robert Nickelsberg)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-April 2018 Jobs Release

On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its Employment Situation Summary for the month of April. Here are some labor market indicators to watch.

Galen Hendricks, Michael Madowitz

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-March 2018 Jobs Release
Job seekers attend a career fair for unemployed people with disabilities in Manchester, Connecticut, May 2011. (Getty/Christopher Capozziello)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-March 2018 Jobs Release

Despite recent gains, disabled workers are still much more likely to struggle economically than their nondisabled counterparts, and keeping interest rates low may help them.

Annie McGrew, Leonard Scott IV, Michael Madowitz

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-February 2018 Jobs Release
The sun rises behind the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., March 6, 2018. (Getty/Mark Wilson)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-February 2018 Jobs Release

On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its Employment Situation Summary for the month of February. Here are some labor market indicators to watch.

Galen Hendricks, Michael Madowitz

10 Years Later: The Financial Crisis State by State
The New York Stock Exchange stands in lower Manhattan, February 2017. (Getty/Spencer Platt)
Article

10 Years Later: The Financial Crisis State by State

States were devastated by the financial crisis, and Congress should not plant the seeds of the next one through deregulation.

Joe Valenti

Corporate Tax Cuts Don’t Create Jobs—Just Ask Carrier Workers
Video

Corporate Tax Cuts Don’t Create Jobs—Just Ask Carrier Workers

We went to Indiana to ask a Carrier worker—who has seen his company slash jobs despite receiving a $7 million tax break on top of $57 billion in profits in 2016—whether corporate tax cuts help American workers.

Andrew Satter, Jeremy Slevin

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-August 2017 Jobs Release
President Donald Trump holds a rally near a coal barge in Cincinnati in June 2017. (AP/John Minchillo)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-August 2017 Jobs Release

On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its Employment Situation Summary for the month of August. Here are some labor market indicators to watch.

Gregg Gelzinis, Michael Madowitz

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-July 2017 Jobs Release
A construction worker is seen installing roofing beams on an industrial park complex in Springfield, Illinois, May 16, 2012. (AP/Seth Perlman)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-July 2017 Jobs Release

On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its Employment Situation Summary for the month of June. Here are some labor market indicators to watch.

Gregg Gelzinis, Michael Madowitz

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-May 2017 Jobs Release
Teavana barista Riaunna Durham prepares matcha tea at the new Teavana Fine Teas and Tea Bar in Beverly Hills, California, March 4, 2015. (AP/Damian Dovarganes)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-May 2017 Jobs Release

On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its Employment Situation Summary for the month of April. Here are some labor market indicators to watch.

Michael Madowitz, Annie McGrew, Gregg Gelzinis

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-April 2017 Jobs Release
A worker looks down on the site of a construction project in New York City on January 21, 2015. (AP/Mark Lennihan)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-April 2017 Jobs Release

On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its Employment Situation Summary for the month of March. Here are some labor market indicators to watch.

Kate Bahn, Annie McGrew, Gregg Gelzinis

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-March 2017 Jobs Release
An assembly line worker moves a door into position at a General Motors assembly plant in Hamtramck, Michigan, July 27, 2011. (AP/Paul Sancya)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-March 2017 Jobs Release

On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its Employment Situation Summary for the month of February. Here are some labor market indicators to watch.

Michael Madowitz, Annie McGrew, Gregg Gelzinis

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-February 2017 Jobs Release
Dorathy Vargas uses a computer to search for a job in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on October 16, 2014. (AP/Michael Dwyer)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-February 2017 Jobs Release

The Employment Situation Summary demonstrates how having a clear picture of the labor market guides good fiscal and monetary policy. For example, women face different labor market conditions than men.

Kate Bahn, Annie McGrew, Gregg Gelzinis

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-January 2017 Jobs Release
Federal Reserve Board Chair Janet Yellen speaks during a news conference about monetary policy on December 14, 2016, in Washington, D.C. (AP/Alex Brandon)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-January 2017 Jobs Release

The Fed raised interest rates in December, but tax cut plans are pushing the Fed to slow the economy down even as the labor market continues to find room to grow.

Michael Madowitz, Gregg Gelzinis, Annie McGrew

April 2015
Job seekers fill out job applications at a Bed Bath & Beyond table at a job fair in Miami Lakes, Florida, October 2014. (AP/Alan Diaz)
Report

April 2015

Policymakers need to build on successes of past progressive policies by implementing measures that raise wages and boost productivity growth.

April’s Employment Report Stings with Disappointment
A workers grinds parts used to build fans for industrial ventilation systems at the Robinson Fans Inc. plant in Harmony, Pennsylvania. (AP/Keith Srakocic)
Article

April’s Employment Report Stings with Disappointment

The labor market has been improving faster than other economic indicators, but that trend looks less strong after March’s employment report.

Michael Madowitz

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-April 2015 Jobs Release
Wayne Wilkin, owner of Wilkin's Backyard Bees, restocks honey at Bucley Bros. Inc. in Wilmington, Ohio. (AP/Gary Landers)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-April 2015 Jobs Release

Broader economic indicators show that today’s economy carries historically low growth in wages and considerable room for more employment growth.

Danielle Corley, Jackie Odum, Michael Madowitz

March 2015
A roofer works under the midday sun in Gilbert, Arizona, in July 2014. (AP/File)
Report

March 2015

Policymakers need to build on successes of past progressive policies by implementing measures that raise wages and boost productivity growth.

February 2015
Instructor Lavinda Young, left, helps Fabian Perez, center, and Lazaro Chaviano, right, with their resumes during a job fair at the Hospitality Institute, in Miami on January 23. (AP/Lynne Sladky)
Report

February 2015

Policymakers need to build on successes of past progressive policies by implementing policies that raise wages and boost productivity growth.

The Good Employment Numbers Beg the Question—More Jobs, More Problems?
An automotive service technology student works on a car at the Community College of Philadelphia. (AP/Matt Rourke)
Article

The Good Employment Numbers Beg the Question—More Jobs, More Problems?

January’s strong employment release report had only positive news, and that should be a good thing, right? That depends on how the Fed responds, which could turn good news into bad news.

Michael Madowitz

Why Wages Are Not Returning as Job Growth Increases
Former student Nathaniel Simmons operates a crane during a day of training at Georgia College of Construction, November 25, 2014. (AP/Branden Camp)
Article

Why Wages Are Not Returning as Job Growth Increases

The U.S. economy has added 11.2 million private-sector jobs in the expansion since February 2010, but wages are still going nowhere.

Adam Hersh

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-December 2014 Jobs Release
Job seekers sign in before meeting prospective employers during a career fair at a hotel in Dallas, January 2014. (AP/LM Otero)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-December 2014 Jobs Release

Despite an improving labor market, other indicators show that the United States is a long way from attaining the healthy economy that Americans need.

Michael Madowitz, Jackie Odum

The Good News of Accelerating Job Growth is Tempered by Lagging Wages
President Barack Obama tours the Millennium Steel Service in Princeton, Indiana, Friday, October 3, 2014, before speaking about the economy as part of Manufacturing Day. (AP/Evan Vucci)
Article

The Good News of Accelerating Job Growth is Tempered by Lagging Wages

With the pace of job creation increasing, communities of color are finally feeling effects of the recovery, but the wages of all working Americans still remain stagnant.

Michael Madowitz

August 2014
A jobseeker listens to an employer during a job fair in Sunrise, Florida, June 2015. (AP/Alan Diaz)
Report

August 2014

As we approach Labor Day, Congress needs to cut the party-line bickering and refocus its efforts on policies that help American workers.

With Job Growth Accelerating and Unemployment Falling, the Labor Market is Looking More Robust
President Barack Obama stands next to a painting of
Article

With Job Growth Accelerating and Unemployment Falling, the Labor Market is Looking More Robust

June was perhaps the best month for the labor market since the recession and caps off a stronger first half of 2014. With 9.5 million Americans looking for work, we will need more months like this to get our economy back to where it belongs.

Michael Madowitz

Economy’s New Jobs Strain to Deliver Middle-Class Wages
Article

Economy’s New Jobs Strain to Deliver Middle-Class Wages

The latest U.S. labor numbers show that unemployment is holding steady with 217,000 jobs created in May, but more workers find themselves stuck in low-wage jobs.

Adam Hersh

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-May 2014 Jobs Release
Erin Wilson, of Hannaford Bros. supermarket company, left, talks with a job seeker during a job fair at Columbia-Greene Community College in Hudson, New York, April 22, 2014. (AP/Mike Groll)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-May 2014 Jobs Release

There’s much more to unemployment than the unemployment rate. Unfortunately, the rest of the statistics we have on the labor market paint a much bleaker picture and show a need for action from policymakers.

Michael Madowitz, Matt Markezich

April 2014
Elizabeth Rich helps a man sign up for the Affordable Care Act at Swope Health Services in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP/Charlie Riedel)
Report

April 2014

Progressive policies similar to the Affordable Care Act can lay the foundation for stronger growth and help those most in need.

Christian E. Weller

The State of the U.S. Labor Market
Luis Mendez, 23, left, and Maurice Mike, 23, wait in line at a job fair held by the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park in Miami, Florida, on October 23, 2013. (AP/Lynne Sladky)
Article

The State of the U.S. Labor Market

There’s much more to unemployment than the unemployment rate. Unfortunately, the rest of the statistics we have on the labor market paint a much bleaker picture and show a need for action from policymakers.

Michael Madowitz, Matt Markezich

January 2014
Stan Osnowitz, 67, is one of the 1 million long-term unemployed Americans who lost their unemployment insurance benefits in December. (AP/Patrick Semansky)
Report

January 2014

To help the middle class and create jobs, Congress should pass a one-year extension of unemployment benefits and raise the federal minimum wage.

Most New Jobs Don’t Pay a Middle-Class Wage
A
Article

Most New Jobs Don’t Pay a Middle-Class Wage

Despite the addition of 204,000 new jobs, more than half pay low wages and offer little room for career advancement.

Adam Hersh

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