Next Economy

New York City's Public-Housing Crisis

Many of the city's enormous low-income residences are in need of millions and millions of dollars of repair work. Why are they still standing at all?

• Alana Semuels
• May 19, 2015

Can 401(k) Plans Be Improved?

In other countries, similar plans are more restrictive—and that may mean retirees are better prepared for life after work.

• Gillian B. White
• May 19, 2015

The Economy Is Still Terrible for Young People

The era of the overeducated barista is here to stay. College graduates are still spending more and more years (and money) to get worse and worse entry-level jobs.

• Derek Thompson
• May 19, 2015

Who Will Care for America's Seniors?

Being a home-health aide is a lonely, difficult job, and the pay is miserable. But the country needs to find millions more people to do it.

• Alana Semuels and National Journal
• May 19, 2015

What If Everybody Didn't Have to Work to Get Paid?

Advocates say that a guaranteed basic income can lead to more creative, fulfilling work. The question is how to fund it.

• David R. Wheeler
• May 18, 2015

Stranded: How America's Failing Public Transportation Increases Inequality

The nation’s crumbling infrastructure makes it hard for those living in poverty to access jobs, quality groceries, and good schools.

• Gillian B. White
• May 16, 2015

The Weakening Definition of 'Diversity'

Millennials think that diversity is less about race and gender than it is about different “experiences.” What does this mean for America?

• Gillian B. White
• May 13, 2015

New Balance Bought Its Own Commuter Rail Station

Instead of asking the cash-strapped public-transit system to add a stop, the company simply paid for one itself.

• Alana Semuels
• May 12, 2015

The Mechanics of Preventing Procrastination

A new study finds that thinking about far-off events in terms of days, rather than years, makes people get started sooner.

• Olga Khazan
• May 12, 2015

Planning for Rural America's Economic Future

In Pottawattamie County, the agricultural sector is proving that innovative regional strategies can start anywhere.

• Nancy Cook
• May 9, 2015

The Economic Plan That Could Help Rural America

What works for cities could also boost the economies of farming communities.

• Nancy Cook and National Journal
• May 8, 2015

Women Are Owning More and More Small Businesses

But don't celebrate just yet.

• Gillian B. White and National Journal
• May 6, 2015

Work Is About More Than Money

When identity and emotional stability are tied to a job, what are the consequences of getting laid off?

• Rebecca J. Rosen
• May 5, 2015

The Curse of Segregation

Some cities and neighborhoods are stuck in vicious cycles of poverty while others have a proven track record of turning poorer children into economic success stories.

• Derek Thompson
• May 5, 2015

Where the Minimum-Wage Fight Is Being Won

Cities and states have shot far past Congress in raising the minimum wage. Will the feds ever catch up?

• Russell Berman
• May 4, 2015

When Cities and Suburbs Work Together

Metropolitan areas like Denver and New York are shunning competition and focusing on how entire regions can work together to reach economic goals.

• Nancy Cook
• May 2, 2015

Actually, Immigration Can Create Jobs

The traditional view that an influx of new workers takes work away from native-born Americans is only part of the story.

• Gillian B. White
• May 1, 2015

Living, and Dying, at Home

America is aging, and most seniors want to stay in the places where they've lived for decades. Can they? What will it take?

• Alana Semuels
• May 1, 2015

The EITC Gives Low-Income Americans More Than Just Money

A new study finds that the EITC can have emotional and psychological benefits.

• Alana Semuels and National Journal
• May 1, 2015