America At Full Employment

The job market is so hot that groups that were on the margins also are finding opportunities. Shouldn't that be exciting?

America Is In Full Employment, So Why Aren't We Celebrating?
NPR - Pallavi Gogoi
These are prosperous times in America. The country is plump with jobs. Out of every 100 people who want to work, more than 96 of them have jobs. This is what economists consider full employment. The economy
Instacart
Why Suburban Moms Are Delivering Your Groceries
NPR - Alina Selyukh
At 6:30 a.m., four of five Gordon family members are roaming around their suburban Sacramento house — if you count only the humans. There are also four dogs, a bunny, a tortoise, chickens, ducks, goats
As Employment Rises, African American Transplants Ride Jobs Wave To The South
NPR - Daniella Cheslow
Brittany Smith grew up mostly in Detroit, earning a master's degree in public health from the University of Michigan. But when she and her then-boyfriend, Sam, began their careers, they ran into roadblocks.
2-Tiered Wages Under Fire: Workers Challenge Unequal Pay For Equal Work
NPR - Scott Horsley
When Courtney Hering started working at Kohler Co. seven years ago, she was continuing a long family tradition. "My mother, she's been here 39 years," she says. "My dad worked here for 14 years. And my
Latino News
Hispanic Unemployment Has Hit Record Lows. But Does That Mean Progress?
NPR - Jasmine Garsd
With the economy booming, Ernesto Martinez can barely keep up with all the construction work coming into the small drywall company he owns. He's part of a historic wave of Latino prosperity in America.
Hot Job Market Is Wooing Women Into Workforce Faster Than Men
NPR - Yuki Noguchi
Gaby Gemetti thought she was failing. After having a second child, she struggled to be a good mom and also a good employee. "I felt like I wasn't a good mother," she says. "I was waking up in the middle
With Workers Hard To Find, Immigration Crackdown Leaves Iowa Town In A Bind
NPR - Jim Zarroli
One morning a year ago, federal immigration agents swept into the Midwest Precast Concrete plant in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and arrested 32 men who were working there illegally. "I was in the car eating
Business
Many Are Replacing Disability Checks With Paychecks
NPR - Scott Horsley
During and after the Great Recession, people turned to disability rolls in large numbers to make ends meet. This accelerated what had been going on for a generation, as the federal government's disability
Former Inmates Are Getting Jobs As Employers Ignore Stigma In Bright Economy
NPR - Jasmine Garsd
In 1998, Ichard Oden committed a crime that got him sent away for two decades. He was 19. He got out of prison in February. Today, he's a 40-year-old man with very little job experience. As it turns out,
In This Town, You Apply For A Job And You Get It
NPR - Jim Zarroli
Ames, Iowa, has the lowest unemployment rate in the country. That's great for workers — but a challenge for those looking for them. Tanisha Cortez is one of those benefiting from this tight labor market.