Unemployment Archives

Economics

Political Polarization Grows as Job Security Falls

The tenor of the partisan kerfuffle over the debt ceiling may have its roots in declining job security, which has been declining steadily since the 1970s, argues political scientist Philipp Rehm.

Emily Badger

Economics

Did the Stimulus Quench America’s Economic Thirst?

Washington dumped torrents of stimulus dollars across the American landscape to keep the U.S. economy from dying on the vine, but most of the spending won't bear fruit until 2015.

Stanford Kay

Economics

Next Economic Stimulus: Everything 20 Percent Off

The next time the U.S. looks at economic stimulus, two University of Delaware economists suggest, it ought to consider offering a hefty discount on every retail purchase.

Elbert Ventura

Economics

Reweaving Tax Nets to Nab Online Shoppers

American shoppers owe sales taxes on online purchases whether Amazon and its friends assess them or not. States are trying various gambits to recoup those lost dollars.

Emily Badger

Economics

Why Job Creation Agencies Stay Off the Table

Don't expect a CCC or WPA in this decade as there are pointed reasons not to reach into the New Deal quiver.

Emily Badger

Economics

Sleet, Rain, Snow, No Problem! But Budget Shortfall?

One way for the U.S. Postal Service to save itself might be for letter carriers to lay down their bags.

Emily Badger

Social Justice

Mass Layoffs and the Lost Boys

New research suggests news of impending large-scale unemployment results in fewer males being born.

Tom Jacobs

Economics

What Jane Jacobs Can Teach Us About the Economy

Late urban champion's notions about decline and imports newly resonant during this recession.

Judith D. Schwartz

Economics

That Falling Tide Does Not Recede Evenly

We predicted that Hispanics would feel more pain jobwise this recession than some other demographic groups. We were right.

Michael Todd

Economics

Suicide Rate Linked to High Unemployment

A new study finds a strong relationship between a nation's unemployment rate and the percentage of its citizens who take their own lives. But surprisingly, the link can be either positive or negative, depending upon the wealth of the individual country.

Tom Jacobs