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United States of Work

Ten stories, one question: "Is the economy working for you?"

United States of Work

What if the U.S. labor force were 10 people?

Our re-imagining of the 164 million people who make this economy work.

United States of Work

Meet the People

New York City, NY
New York City, NY

Michael, certified public accountant

Meet Michael
Portland, OR
Portland, OR

Neil, bartender

Meet Neil
Boise, ID
Boise, ID

Ashley, hair stylist

Meet Ashley
Nashville, TN
Nashville, TN

Stephanie, executive director of an independent movie theater

Meet Stephanie
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles, CA

Rocio, construction worker

Meet Rocio
Kansas City, MO
Kansas City, MO

Steve, professional driver

Meet Steve
Logan, OH
Logan, OH

Scott, family physician

Meet Scott
Centennial, CO
Centennial, CO

Kate, new account representative

Meet Kate
Ashburn, VA
Ashburn, VA

Gaile, cashier

Meet Gaile
St. Paul, MN
St. Paul, MN

Derrick, community college dean

Meet Derrick
United States of Work

How and why we chose these 10 people

Learn More

From This Collection

COVID-19

Omicron is straining medical supply chains and this small practice

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Jan 5, 2022
A rural family physician discusses shortages of medications, hospital staff and beds for COVID-19 patients.
Dr. Scott Anazalone at his independent medical practice in Logan, Ohio, in 2019. As the only independent family doctor in the area, he says demand for his services outstrips supply.
Cassidy Brauner
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United States of Work

Why this longtime bartender quit the service industry

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Dec 2, 2021
Neil Cairns of Oregon has been on an employment roller coaster the past two years. Now he’s trying something new.
Economists and central bankers abound are watching today's jobs report to get a gauge on inflation.
Photo by Thomas Patterson for Marketplace
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United States of Work

An independent movie theater eyes “momentum” heading into 2022

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Nov 23, 2021
“It really is beginning to look — dare I say it — a little normal,” said the executive director of Nashville’s Belcourt Theatre.
“It finally feels like we might walk into 2022 and see some consistency,” said Stephanie Silverman, executive director of the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville.
Photo by Tom Gatlin, courtesy Belcourt Theatre
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COVID-19

The "organizational nightmare" of managing a classroom this year

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Sep 23, 2021
According to high school art teacher Megan Anzalone, the number of students quarantining this year makes her job more challenging.
Teaching this year has been “a bit of an organizational nightmare for everybody from the administration all the way down to the kids,” said high school art teacher Megan Anzalone.
Christof Stache/AFP via Getty Images
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United States of Work

Big screens are back, but what about audiences?

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Jun 23, 2021
Stephanie Silverman, executive director of an independent movie theater in Nashville, is navigating an industry in transition.
The Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee, reopened on April 23, but executive director Stephanie Silverman says the crowds have been "inconsistent."
Tom Gatlin courtesy Belcourt Theatre
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“I’ve never seen so many Help Wanted signs”

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
May 4, 2021
A view of the strong labor market in a rural Ohio town.
Dr. Scott Anzalone, a physician in Logan, Ohio, says tourists seeking rentals have injected cash into the local economy.
Photo courtesy of Scott Anzalone
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United States of Work

For small-business owners, “it’s just never-ending”

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Mar 17, 2021
An independent hairstylist reflects on her newfound respect for small-business ownership after a year on her own.
Hairstylist Ashley Nelson’s private suite in downtown Boise, Idaho. She's looking to grow and bring people with her.
Courtesy of Ashley Nelson
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United States of Work

Why this unemployed bartender feels “betrayed” by the nation's safety net

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Mar 4, 2021
Neil Cairns of Portland, Oregon, is finding that returning to work is a tough job.
"I'm casting my net as wide as I can," says former bartender Neil Cairns about his search for work.
Thomas Patterson
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The pandemic as seen by a high-school senior and his older brother

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Feb 17, 2021
“It's very easy to just stay in your room all day and not let anybody know what's happening to you,” says student AJ Williams.
CPA Michael Durant, right, and his younger brother, AJ Williams. The brothers lost their mother to COVID, and Williams is missing his freedom because of the quarantine.
Maria Hollenhorst/Marketplace
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Despite challenges, this movie theater operator is optimistic about the future

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Jan 28, 2021
“While streaming is a reality, it’s not communal,” said Stephanie Silverman of Nashville’s Belcourt Theatre. People “will want to be out in the world again.”
An empty screening room at the Belcourt Theater in Nashville, which has been closed for indoor screenings since Jan. 1.
(Courtesy of the Belcourt Theatre)
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