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Heat waves reveal another cost of climate change

Jul 17, 2019
Rising temperatures associated with climate change will create a significant drain on economic productivity, according to researchers.
Glass installer Brian Herrera unloads a truck in Washington, D.C.  He says he often has to work in extreme heat, and has several strategies to protect himself.
Kimberly Adams

Worker productivity is booming. Why is inflation so tame?

May 2, 2019
Additional production isn't translating to additional income.
Colby College, a small, private liberal arts college, will open the doors to the Davis Institute of Artificial Intelligence this fall. It plans on expanding the curriculum of AI and machine learning to all areas of study.
Grant Hindsley/AFP/Getty Images

Is video conferencing worth all the trouble?

Apr 16, 2019
Some companies have lost $1 million in productivity just getting the technology to work.
Pexels/Pixabay

What's the downside of making friends at work?

May 16, 2018
A new study suggests those relationships might be getting in the way of productivity.
Though work friendships can provide emotional support, they can also be a distraction, says Nancy Rothbard of the Wharton School. Above, stock brokers laugh at Frankfurt's stock exchange.
THOMAS LOHNES/AFP/Getty Images

Baseball’s opening day strikes some as more tempting than going to work

Mar 29, 2018
For baseball fans, opening day at the ballpark means an introduction to the players. It’s the season’s first taste of a stadium hot dog,  And, for some? A reason to call in sick from work. So what are employers doing to keep workers at the office? Click the above audio player to hear the full […]

Productivity is poised to rise. Finally.

Feb 21, 2018
Labor productivity, a measure of how efficient workers are, hasn’t been improving in recent years. That has caused worry among economists, because worker productivity has a big impact on economic growth. Well, times may be a-changing. The McKinsey Global Institute is out with a new report that says this era of low productivity growth might […]

For public good, not for profit.

Flu season could cost employers billions of dollars

Feb 12, 2018
This flu season could cost businesses at least $15.4 billion in lost productivity, according to one employment consulting firm.
A sign advertising flu shots is displayed at a Walgreens pharmacy on Jan. 22, 2018 in San Francisco, California. 
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

White noise is the new soundtrack of work

Jan 30, 2018
White noise helps workers focus in open floor plan offices. It is especially popular with tech workers, designers and entrepreneurs, and demand is growing.
Jonah Lopin in his open office space likes to listen to the recorded sound of a fan through his headphones. 
Judith Kogan/ for Marketplace

It's official. Politics is distracting us at work

Mar 6, 2017
We're spending two hours a day reading or talking about issues on the job, a survey finds.
“We found that 87 percent of employees are reading political social media posts during the workday,” said Kris Duggan, CEO of BetterWorks.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/Getty Images