Study Reveals Benefits of a 4-Day Workweek
A pilot program of a 4-day workweek recently concluded in the United Kingdom. The study lasted from June to December 2022. The largest study to date, it involved 2,900 employees from 61 companies. To test a shorter workweek, employees were paid for five days of work each week, but only asked to work the equivalent […]
State and Local Minimum Wage Increases in 2023
In 2023, an estimated 8.4 million American workers will see a raise in their hourly pay. This is because 23 states and Washington, D.C., are increasing their minimum wage. The raises range from an additional 23 cents per hour in Michigan to $1.50 per hour in Nebraska. Twenty-seven cities and counties are also increasing their […]
No Free Money
The COVID-19 pandemic and economic shutdown has been a disaster for many small businesses in the United States. To help address this problem, the federal government created the PPP, or Paycheck Protection Program. The first round of PPP money–$349 billion–was gone in just thirteen days. However, the second round–an additional $310 billion–still has about a […]
Unemployment on the Rise
Have you or someone you know lost a job as a result of COVID-19? It should come as no surprise to anyone that the global pandemic has taken a devastating toll on the U.S. economy. But it’s starting to become clear exactly how big a deal this really is. New reports from the Department of […]
COVID-19 and the Economy
By now, you are hopefully adjusting to the “new normal” of self-isolation and social distancing. But what effect are all of these closed-down restaurants, bars, fitness centers, schools, and more having on the economy? Experts agree that we will probably face a significant recession (or even a depression) as a result of these widespread closures. […]
Environmental Injustice
Earlier this week, our nation celebrated the memory of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For many, Monday was a day to consider race relations in our country today, and how they have changed (or not) since Dr. King’s time. One issue that is still linked to racial inequality today is housing. Where […]
California Takes a Stand on Fracking
You’ve heard of fracking, or hydraulic fracturing–the process by which oil and natural gas are removed from the earth by shooting a high-pressure water, sand, and chemical mixture into the rock deep inside the earth, pushing the oil and natural gas to the surface. It’s a highly controversial drilling technique with potentially serious environmental consequences. […]
College Athletes: To Pay or Not to Pay?
They bring in billions of dollars in revenue and tons of recognition for colleges, yet they themselves are not allowed to profit from their skills in any way. This has always been the role of college athletes, even at Division I schools that can make thousands or even millions by using the athlete’s image for […]
Are Drive-Thru Lanes Hitting the Road?
It’s been a long day of school and practice. You’re starving, but you don’t have a lot of money or time. What will you do? If you’re like most Americans, you’ll go through the drive-thru line of your favorite fast food restaurant. But that might be getting harder to do, as some cities are now […]
Amazon’s HQ2 Announced
The coming holiday season means, among other things, Amazon boxes on doorsteps and Amazon trucks on the highway. For many of us, it can be hard to remember a time before the online shopping giant. Ever since Amazon announced that they would be building a second U.S. headquarters–known as HQ2–cities large and small have been […]