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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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How immigrant entrepreneurs help create jobs and boost the economy

Immigrants are much more likely to create a new business, studies show, and the knock-on effect is job creation.
"Immigrant entrepreneurs in the U.S. are associated with a net gain in jobs. Specifically, they're responsible for roughly one in four of all jobs in young firms," said Marketplace senior economics contributor Chris Farrell.
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More immigration means gains for U.S. economy, CBO says

The agency's estimates that immigrants will add $7 trillion to gross domestic product over the next decade.
Immigrants have filled jobs that employers had struggled to find workers for, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
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One reason hiring has slowed is consumer pushback to restaurants setting higher prices in the wake of ongoing inflation.
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Offices search for a sound approach to noise levels for returning staff

Nov 24, 2023
Noise is a factor in creating a healthy and comfortable space as firms try to ease the transition after years of remote work.
As more white-collar workers return to offices, some companies are redesigning their spaces with preferred noise levels and climate control in mind.
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New unemployment claims creep up as hiring slows

Nov 16, 2023
Six months of incremental softening of the job market has firmed up to something tangible: the number of people continuing to file for unemployment was the highest it’s been in almost two years.
Slowed hiring could be an indicator that the jobs market is mellowing out after wild swings during the first few years of the pandemic.
Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images

It's a slow summer... for job cuts

Aug 4, 2023
People are scanning today's jobs report for signs of slower job creation and greater wage gains — as unemployment claims hover near pre-pandemic lows, and companies announce fewer layoffs.
“We’re seeing a lot of those individuals being picked up fairly quickly in medium-sized companies," said Jim McCoy with ManpowerGroup
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For public good, not for profit.

Wages have started to outpace inflation. But let's not get too excited.

Jul 12, 2023
Wage growth beat inflation in May and June for the first time since March 2021. But economists say two months do not a trend make.
In an ideal world, "economists think that workers should get an increase each year in their pay of around 2% to keep pace with inflation, and an additional 1 to 1.5% to keep pace with productivity growth," says Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter.
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Immigrant workforce reaches near record level

Jul 6, 2023
Foreign-born workers are continuing to play a crucial role in a tight job market.
Tisheeka Wallace is assistant manager of Pacci's Trattoria, where immigrants make up one-fifth of the workforce.
Nancy Marshall Genzer/Marketplace

Job data's all over the place, but things are still pretty good for some workers

Jul 6, 2023
ADP and other labor market signals point to continuing interest rate increases by the Federal Reserve.
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