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Labor

The biggest news about labor, jobs, unemployment, and how America works.

Technology
Hating work is having a momentHating work is having a moment
Technology

Americans aren’t just quitting their jobs; they’re fighting back.

By Rani Molla
Technology
More Americans are taking jobs without employer benefits like health care or paid vacationMore Americans are taking jobs without employer benefits like health care or paid vacation
Technology

An astonishing one in three US workers does gig work now.

By Rani Molla
The death of the job
Money

What if paid work were no longer the centerpiece of American life?

By Anna North
Money
What you’ve heard about people quitting their jobs might be wrongWhat you’ve heard about people quitting their jobs might be wrong
Money

Workers are leaving their jobs. But are they getting better ones?

By Anna North
Technology
What are you legally allowed to say at work? A group of fired Googlers could change the rules.What are you legally allowed to say at work? A group of fired Googlers could change the rules.
Technology

The NLRB is expanding its complaint against Google.

By Shirin Ghaffary
Climate
What should coal communities do when power plants shut down? Ask Germany.What should coal communities do when power plants shut down? Ask Germany.
Climate

Here are 3 big lessons from Germany’s transition off of coal power.

By Lili Pike
Politics
The Supreme Court showdown over whether colleges should pay their athletes, explainedThe Supreme Court showdown over whether colleges should pay their athletes, explained
Politics

Sports leagues enjoy some exemptions from antitrust laws, but do they apply to player compensation?

By Ian Millhiser
An unholy union
Technology

Bessemer, Alabama, has been called an “unlikely” place for an epic union battle with Amazon. They don’t know Bessemer.

By Kim Kelly
Future Perfect
How Biden can rein in the Big Meat monopolyHow Biden can rein in the Big Meat monopoly
Future Perfect

The meat industry is bad for farmers, workers, consumers, animals, and the environment. It should be the next target in Democrats’ antitrust push.

By Claire Kelloway
The class of 2020 was full of hope. Then the pandemic hit.
Money

Young adults are failing to launch their careers during a pandemic. That could have a lasting generational impact.

By Terry Nguyen
Technology
Amazon employees fear HR is targeting minority and activism groups in email monitoring programAmazon employees fear HR is targeting minority and activism groups in email monitoring program
Technology

Some workers are raising concerns in light of larger tensions over labor organizing.

By Shirin Ghaffary and Jason Del Rey
Politics
Poll: Most freelance workers still haven’t gotten unemployment or government loansPoll: Most freelance workers still haven’t gotten unemployment or government loans
Politics

A survey of Freelancers Union members showed the vast majority of freelancers who applied for government relief still haven’t received it.

By Ella Nilsen
Politics
A Democratic plan to stretch expanded unemployment insurance through DecemberA Democratic plan to stretch expanded unemployment insurance through December
Politics

Expanded unemployment benefits end in late July. Rep. Dan Kildee of Michigan wants to extend them through the rest of the year.

By Ella Nilsen
How to get the coronavirus unemployment benefits, explained
The Vox guide to navigating the coronavirus crisis

Vox answers your questions about new US unemployment benefits.

By Ella Nilsen
Georgia’s unusual unemployment benefits rule lets some workers fall through the cracks
Politics

A new rule in Georgia means employers are responsible for filing unemployment for furloughed employees every week.

By Ella Nilsen
The Vox guide to navigating the coronavirus crisis
How to apply for unemployment benefits if you’re a freelancer or self-employedHow to apply for unemployment benefits if you’re a freelancer or self-employed
The Vox guide to navigating the coronavirus crisis

Why it’s taken so long for some states to set up unemployment programs for freelancers, gig economy workers, and self-employed people.

By Ella Nilsen
Getting unemployment has been a nightmare for millions of people across the country
Politics

With 22 million people trying to get unemployment at once, the system is overwhelmed.

By Ella Nilsen
How robots are transforming Amazon warehouse jobs — for better and worse
Technology

Amazon is leading a robotics race that will have a seismic impact on the warehouse industry, which employs more than 1.1 million Americans today.

By Jason Del Rey
Meet the women suing America’s biggest companies over equal pay
Features

A spate of lawsuits against giants from Google and Twitter to Nike and Goldman Sachs reveals the growing frustrations of women in pursuit of the C-suite.

By Alexia Fernández Campbell
Women are increasingly unhappy. This comic explains why.
Gender

The gender gap we’re not talking about.

By Aubrey Hirsch
Technology
To bring “prestige” back to education, make teachers tax-exempt, says Blackstone CEO Steve SchwarzmanTo bring “prestige” back to education, make teachers tax-exempt, says Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman
Podcast
Technology

He’s an adviser to President Trump — but he also wants to see a national $15 minimum wage and an overhaul of the H-1B visa program.

By Eric Johnson
Technology
Workers need to be part of the conversation about UBI, says “Beaten Down, Worked Up” author Steve GreenhouseWorkers need to be part of the conversation about UBI, says “Beaten Down, Worked Up” author Steve Greenhouse
Podcast
Technology

Proposals for a universal basic income, such as Andrew Yang’s “Freedom Dividend,” may have dire consequences for blue-collar workers who just want a job, Greenhouse says.

By Eric Johnson
Politics
“Unions for all”: the new plan to save the American labor movement“Unions for all”: the new plan to save the American labor movement
Politics

Sectoral bargaining is the future of American labor unions.

By Dylan Matthews
Technology
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian: the Code Conference interview (transcript)Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian: the Code Conference interview (transcript)
Podcast
Technology

Bastian talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher and Jason Del Rey about improving the customer experience, facial recognition, and Delta employees’ attempts to unionize.

By Eric Johnson
Explainers
The Green New Deal is fracturing a critical base for Democrats: unionsThe Green New Deal is fracturing a critical base for Democrats: unions
Explainers

National labor leaders oppose the Green New Deal but some state unions endorse it. That’s a challenge for presidential contenders.

By Umair Irfan
Politics
McDonald’s workers are on strike. 3 presidential candidates joined them.McDonald’s workers are on strike. 3 presidential candidates joined them.
Politics

Picket lines are now campaign stops.

By Alexia Fernández Campbell
Politics
Connecticut is about to get a $15 minimum wageConnecticut is about to get a $15 minimum wage
Politics

More than 300,000 workers would get a raise.

By Alexia Fernández Campbell
Explainers
Colin Kaepernick’s collusion grievance against the NFL, explainedColin Kaepernick’s collusion grievance against the NFL, explained
Explainers

Kaepernick’s lawyer and the NFL announced a confidential settlement in the collusion case on Friday.

By P.R. Lockhart
World Politics
Trump’s car deal with China is great — for other countriesTrump’s car deal with China is great — for other countries
World Politics

Why Japan, South Korea, and Germany are likely ecstatic right now.

By Alex Ward
You have $8 billion. You want to do as much good as possible. What do you do?
Future Perfect

Inside the Open Philanthropy Project, the group tasked with giving away Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz’s massive fortune.

By Dylan Matthews
Money
The gig economy isn’t going anywhere. 4 experts explain why.The gig economy isn’t going anywhere. 4 experts explain why.
Money

The online platform economy is a small but growing part of the gig economy.

By Aditi Shrikant
The emerging plan to save the American labor movement
Politics

The Trump era has sparked some of the most creative thinking in labor in years.

By Dylan Matthews
Politics
The big question about today’s economy — are wages going to start growing?The big question about today’s economy — are wages going to start growing?
Politics

We might just need a little time ... or it might take more.

By Matthew Yglesias
Politics
2017 was a great year for CEOs. Not so much for the average worker.2017 was a great year for CEOs. Not so much for the average worker.
Politics

A new study shows that CEOs made about 312 times more money in 2017 than the average worker.

By Alexia Fernández Campbell
Politics
Why the gender discrimination lawsuit against Nike is so significantWhy the gender discrimination lawsuit against Nike is so significant
Politics

Women who worked at Nike are suing over pay discrimination. Their demands are critical in a broader fight.

By Alexia Fernández Campbell
Politics
Journalists at Thrillist vote to strike for “livable salaries”Journalists at Thrillist vote to strike for “livable salaries”
Politics

Journalists at digital media startups are unionizing. The staff at Thrillist is the first to authorize a strike.

By Alexia Fernández Campbell
Labor
The Trump administration wants to make it easier for federal contractors to hide pay discriminationThe Trump administration wants to make it easier for federal contractors to hide pay discrimination
Labor

The Department of Labor plans to weaken rules to determine whether companies pay women and workers of color less.

By Alexia Fernández Campbell
The Big Idea
More and more companies have monopoly power over workers’ wages. That’s killing the economy.More and more companies have monopoly power over workers’ wages. That’s killing the economy.
The Big Idea

The trend can explain slow growth, “missing” workers, and stagnant salaries.

By Suresh Naidu, Eric Posner, and Glen Weyl
Politics
The official poverty measure is garbage. The census has found a better way.The official poverty measure is garbage. The census has found a better way.
Politics

When you look at the numbers right, the war on poverty actually worked.

By Dylan Matthews
Politics
There’s no sign yet of a Trump boom in manufacturing or coal miningThere’s no sign yet of a Trump boom in manufacturing or coal mining
Politics

But the latest job report does show the lowest unemployment rate since the recession began.

By Soo Oh and Alexia Fernández Campbell