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Ex-inventory clerk ticks off memories of counting merchandise

Jul 26, 2024
Before barcodes and electronic management systems, there were inventory clerks with pens and clipboards.
Before electronic inventory management systems came on line in the 1980s and '90s, retailers counted inventory by hand.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Consumers are saving the least since 2022, despite "pretty, pretty good" economy

Jul 26, 2024
Incomes are up, consumption is up too — but the personal savings rate is down to 3.4%.
Higher interest rates and avid credit card use are among the reasons many Americans have little left over after buying essentials.
SDI Productions/Getty Images

Why is manufacturing activity up in some regions and down in others?

Jul 26, 2024
Different parts of the country make different products and often respond distinctly to economic trends.
Manufacturers' response to economic shocks depends in part on where they're located.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

In Boston, office to residential conversions gain traction, aided by subsidies

Jul 26, 2024
Amid widespread office vacancies, developers say creating apartments could provide housing and help stave off declining values.
The views from 95 Berkeley St. could add to the office building's appeal for apartment dwellers.
Courtesy City of Boston

Senate advances bills that boost privacy and safety for kids

Jul 26, 2024
The legislation would force tech companies to do more to prevent harm. Subscribe to get the "Make Me Smart" newsletter every Friday!
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Kids' upward mobility linked to how many adults around them work

Jul 26, 2024
A new study from Harvard University and the Census Bureau suggests it's not all about your individual effort or household situation.
"It's not just all about you and your family," said the Aspen Institute's Steven Brown of children's upward mobility. "It's about neighborhoods, it's about networks."
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Paris 2024: The AI-powered Olympics

Jul 26, 2024
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games officially begins today — and this year's tournament will use artificial intelligence more than any other.
The International Olympic Committee is creating a sort of chatbot for competing athletes to have their questions answered.
Chesnot/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Biden White House has a lot on its economic plate before term ends

Jul 26, 2024
Lindsay Owens of the Groundwork Collaborative points to relief from junk fees and medical debt as well as policy fights around taxes.
President Joe Biden speaking in Chicago about his "Bidenomics" economic agenda.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Many small businesses wobble under weight of high rates

Jul 25, 2024
Small operations have endured pandemic rules, lockdowns and rising costs. Refinancing their loans could be as painful, or worse.
A loan to open a new location before the pandemic "completely destroyed the business," said bakery owner Erin McKenna. She's not the only businessperson struggling with high interest rates and sizable debt.
Getty Images

Consumers just keep spending, fueling GDP growth

Jul 25, 2024
Second quarter gross domestic product growth was 2.8%. That’s double the GDP growth in the first quarter of the year.
What really drives GDP, especially the acceleration in the past few months, is consumers.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images