Job growth picked up for the 100th consecutive month even as hundreds of thousands of federal workers were furloughed during the partial government shutdown. Wage growth held steady.
The economy added 304,000 jobs in January, the 100th consecutive month of payroll gains. Unemployment ticked up to 4 percent, possibly a shutdown-related anomaly.
Analysis: Furloughed workers are now getting paid, but economic insecurity remains top of mind for millions of Americans living on the financial edge.
The government shutdown left tens of thousands of people in Los Angeles County at risk of not being able to pay their rent and losing their housing, as federal money for several critical programs dries up.
Food banks brace for surge in traffic as people on federal food assistance try to stretch their benefits
Some advocates hope Square’s investment may lead to innovation
Many otherwise middle-class people are “liquid-asset poor,” meaning they can’t withstand even a brief financial shock
With President Trump recently signing into law a federal criminal justice reform bill, California’s experience is especially instructive.
“Supervised release” allows judges to let those who cannot afford bail be released before trial on a kind of parole — and it may be what finally helps close Rikers Island.