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How song makes the union strong

Aug 12, 2024
Labor songs were sung at home, on the job and on the picket line. Let's look at the history, starting with "Harlan County, U.S.A."
Unions regularly published songbooks containing tunes to organize and build solidarity. The Industrial Workers of the World’s songbook was first published in 1909.
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Temp worker employment is falling. What does that mean for the U.S. economy?

Jul 31, 2024
While decreasing numbers of temporary workers can be a leading recession indicator, economists say this time might be different.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about a quarter of temporary workers are employed in transportation and material moving occupations such as warehouse jobs.
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How many jobs are being gained or lost due to AI? There are some clues.

Jun 7, 2024
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly survey doesn't track jobs added or subtracted due to AI – at least not yet.
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How did the closely watched jobs report get its start?

Jun 6, 2024
The survey of employers was created to help answer puzzling questions about labor.
It wasn't until the recession of 1913-1914 that the Bureau of Labor Statistics began regular surveys of employers.
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What does the Phillips curve tell us about the economy?

Jun 5, 2024
The Phillips Curve says that low unemployment is linked to high inflation. But history shows that the economy doesn't always work that way.
Economist A.W. Phillips came up with what’s known as “the Phillips curve” in 1958. It says that low unemployment is linked to high inflation.
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What does “seasonally adjusted” mean, anyway?

Jun 5, 2024
It’s one of those terms we hear attached to economic data all the time. But what is seasonal adjustment and how is it done?
It could appear that there's a recession each January because of the drop in seasonal workers, like mall Santas, after the holidays. Hence the importance of seasonally adjusting data.
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Small businesses have Now Hiring signs up — whether they need workers or not

Apr 2, 2024
So government stats on job openings may not be telling us much.
Frankesha Watkins, who owns a beauty supply store, said she always keeps a job listing posted because high turnover among her staff creates frequent openings.
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Job security and hiring in tech have plummeted. How much is AI to blame?

Apr 1, 2024
Tech companies may have over hired in the pandemic. Now, AI and other economic forces are creating a shrink in the tech sector.
While the IT sector added more than 260,000 jobs in 2022, last year it grew by a mere 700 jobs, and that number is expected to shrink even more in 2024.
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Recent immigrants have filled labor gaps, boosted job creation, experts say

Mar 15, 2024
There has been a wave of migration to the U.S. — legal and not — since 2022. Many who entered are finding and keeping jobs.
In 2022 and 2023, 5.9 million people migrated to the U.S., according to the Congressional Budget Office.
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New H1-B visa rules give workers more autonomy

Mar 8, 2024
It’s H-1B season, which means U.S. companies are once again competing for a limited number of spots— 85,000 — in a visa lottery. Registration opened this week after the federal government revamped the application process.
Workers with H1-B visas "have a lot more more negotiating power," said immigration attorney Ummehani Ismail.
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