economy

Tracing The Economy's Roots

Beth Lipoff and Elizabeth Alex — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:55:01 +0000

The financial crisis may have started in this century, but the economic system that built up to it has been part of this country since its founding.

Ambassador Talks African Economy Emergence

Beth Lipoff and Steve Kraske — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The global economy isn’t just about trading with China, India and European countries-- Africa is making an impact as well.

Red Ink: The High Stakes Politics Of The Federal Budget

Stephen Steigman and Steve Kraske — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:04:52 +0000

In Sunday's Kansas City Star, Up to Date host Steve Kraske wrote about "the fiscal cliff."

In short, the cliff refers to a series of big choices facing lawmakers in this country that could lead to sweeping tax increases affecting almost everybody and a series of spending cuts that would affect many of us.

Obama's Jobs Plan Focuses On Federal Investment

John Ydstie — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:41:00 +0000

In the next two installments of Solve This, NPR's series on the major issues facing the country, we'll examine each presidential candidate's approach to boosting employment.

Kansas City, Overland Park Mayors Talk Regional Cooperation

Beth Lipoff and Steve Kraske — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 22:24:16 +0000

Kansas and Missouri say they’d like to work together, but they keep poaching each other’s businesses.

Two Plans For Fixing The Economy, But Few Details

Marilyn Geewax — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:48:00 +0000
As this presidential election year was kicking off, strategists were saying the focus would be on the economy.

Missouri's Economy Stagnant In 2011

Jacob McCleland — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 12:50:10 +0000

Missouri’s economy stayed stagnant last year. A new report by the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis says Missouri’s gross domestic product remained steady in 2011.

For Many Teens, Summer Jobs May Be Thing Of The Past

April Fehling — Thu, 31 May 2012 19:48:00 +0000
The school year's winding down, meaning teenagers around the country will soon be trying to pull in some extra cash scooping ice cream or manning those kiosks at the mall.
But with the job market still weak, teens are facing stiff competition landing summer jobs. And while the downturn has hit young job seekers particularly hard, it's not just the lingering effects of the Great Recession working against them: the drop-off in teen summer hiring actually began long before 2007.
The past two summers were the worst for teen employment in the U.S.

Endemic Financial Fraud (AKA. Green Slime)

Andrea Silenzi and Jabulani Leffall — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:15:12 +0000

Every president and presidential candidate has an economic advisor, but how influenced are these positions by politics?

Unemployment Down, Jobs Up In Missouri

Elana Gordon — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:47:33 +0000

At 7.3 percent, unemployment in Missouri has dropped to its lowest level in 40 months. That’s according to the latest monthly report from the state’s Department of Economic Development.

Uneven Economy Evens The Field For Obama, Romney

editor — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:53:00 +0000
As the election year began, conventional wisdom was pretty well set about the outcome of the presidential race. If the economy improved, President Obama would win. If not, he'd be a one-termer.
So what does it mean that many big economic indicators are moving sideways?
"Obama seems to be in that gray area," says Paul Pierson, a political scientist at the University of California, Berkeley. "The numbers are neither so good nor so bad that they give you a definitive answer."
The economy as a whole is growing, but at a tepid pace. Jobs are being added every month, but not terribly many.

Hiring Slowed In April, Report Signals

Mark Memmott — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:42:00 +0000
Businesses added just 119,000 jobs to their payrolls in April, a sharp drop from an estimated 201,000-gain in March, according to the latest ADP National Employment Report.
The private group's report is "a troubling sign" two days before the Bureau of Labor Statistics issues its figures on April employment growth and unemployment, The Associated Press says.
came up with this stunning figure: "Half of young college graduates [are] either jobless or underemployed in positions that don't fully use their skills and knowledge."
The whole story is worth a read, so we encourage you to click over, but here is the meat of the AP's analysis:
"About 1.5 million, or 53.6 percent, of bachelor's degree-holders under the age of 25 last year were jobless or underemployed,

Continued Job Growth Will Help Housing Industry

Chris Arnold — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:35:00 +0000
Transcript
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Later this week, we get some key data to help judge the state of the nation's housing market. There are some early signs of recovery, but home prices are still falling in many areas, as NPR's Chris Arnold reports.
CHRIS ARNOLD, BYLINE: Tomorrow, we'll get the latest word on home prices from what's called the S&P Case-Shiller index. That keeps showing price declines in many areas.