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 United States Is Not Ready for a Recession, But It Can Be
Traders work the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on August 23, 2019 in New York. - Wall Street stocks tanked Friday after President Donald Trump vowed a tough response to new Chinese tariffs, escalating the trade war between the world's top two economies amid rising fears of recession. The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank more than 600 points, or 2.4 percent, to 25,628.90, registering its fourth straight weekly loss. (Photo by Don Emmert / AFP)        (Photo credit should read DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images) (Getty/Don Emmert)
Report

The United States Is Not Ready for a Recession, But It Can Be

The U.S. government can and should strengthen automatic stabilizers to mitigate the next recession’s worst effects when they come.

Olugbenga Ajilore

Darrick Hamilton: The Blueprint for a Better Society
 (The Thinking CAP podcast logo, a yellow neon cap against a black background with the word
Podcast

Darrick Hamilton: The Blueprint for a Better Society

This week, Daniella and Ed speak with Darrick Hamilton, executive director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University, to discuss the U.S. economy, inequality, and reparations.

Daniella Gibbs Léger, Ed Chung, Kyle Epstein, 1 More Chris Ford

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

Economic Snapshot: August 2015
David Row helps his 8-year-old son Lestat learn to ride a bicycle as a homeless man reads outside a homeless shelter in Los Angeles on September 14, 2011. (AP/Jae C. Hong)
Report

Economic Snapshot: August 2015

America’s middle class deserves a shot at real economic security, and it is about time that policymakers make it happen.

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

Economic Snapshot: July 2015
New York State Trooper Maxine Mendez, left, speaks to Xiaojiao Zuo about employment opportunities during a U.S. Chamber of Commerce jobs expo in New York on June 30, 2015. (AP/Mary Altaffer)
Report

Economic Snapshot: July 2015

Middle-class economic stability for all is the key to stronger economic growth and should be front and center on policymakers’ agendas.

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

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

Economic Snapshot: June 2015

Policymakers need to create real economic security by fighting the twin evils of massive income inequality and anemic economic growth.

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

Economic Snapshot: May 2015
A corporate recruiter speaks with job applicants during a job fair in Chicago, April 2015. (AP/M. Spencer Green)
Report

Economic Snapshot: May 2015

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

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

The State of the U.S. Labor Market: Pre-May 2015 Jobs Release
Store employee Josh Kelly checks the condition of used records at Vintage Vinyl Records on April 14, 2015. (AP/Mel Evans)
Article

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

Last month’s employment report serves as a reminder that we are far from the healthy economy Americans need.

Jackie Odum, Danielle Corley, Michael Madowitz

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.

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

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.

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

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.

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

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

January 2015
An abandoned school is locked near downtown in Danville, Illinois, where manufacturers that provided thousands of middle-class jobs have closed. (AP/Seth Perlman)
Report

January 2015

Americans are still waiting for an economy that works for everyone, rather than a lucky few.

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

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

December 2014
A homeless man sleeps on the sidewalk under a holiday window at Blanc de Chine in New York. (AP/Mark Lennihan)
Report

December 2014

Economic data show that it is time for an economy that works for everyone and not just the wealthy few.

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

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

November 2014
Job seekers attend a job fair in Miami Lakes, Florida, October 2014. (AP/Alan Diaz)
Report

November 2014

This month’s economic data shows that it’s time for an economy that works for everyone and not just the wealthy few.

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

October 2014
Job seekers Madelin Garcia, right, and Noharis Nunez fill out a job applications at a job fair in Miami Lakes, Florida. (AP/Alan Diaz)
Report

October 2014

Congress needs to play its part in building a postrecession economy for everyone and not just the wealthy few.

Christian E. Weller, 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

September 2014
Cindy Reilly, center, sets the dinner table for her children Isabella, 7, left, Sierra, 4, and her husband Mike in the kitchen of their home in Nipomo, California. (AP/Eric Parsons)
Report

September 2014

New economic data shows that post-recession gains continue to go to the wealthiest while the middle class continues to be squeezed.

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

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.

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

July 2014
Job seekers wait in a line at a job fair in Southfield, Michigan. (AP/Paul Sancya)
Report

July 2014

Despite an improving labor market, Congress needs to do more to create opportunity for all American families.

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

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

June 2014
Recruiter Christina O, with New Western Acquisitions, left, take Raheem Shaw's resume during a job fair, June 23, 2014. (AP/Matt Rourke)
Report

June 2014

Five years after the Great Recession, conservative lawmakers continue to stifle our economy and the middle class.

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

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

May 2014
President Barack Obama meets with business leaders about creating and investing in jobs in the United States, Tuesday, May 20, 2014, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington. (AP/Charles Dharapak)
Report

May 2014

Despite a broken Congress, the president can still push progressive policies to help strengthen the middle class.

Christian E. Weller, Jackie Odum

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

February 2014
The economic challenges for America’s middle class and the American Dream are massive and require bold and swift responses from policymakers. (AP/Andres Kudacki)
Report

February 2014

In the fifth year of recovery, policymakers must create an economy that works for everyone.

Christian E. Weller, Sam Ungar

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.

Christian E. Weller, Sam Ungar

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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