The U.S. economy has avoided a recession so far but the risk of a deeper economic downturn still looms, according to financial analyst Gary Shilling. Take U.S. small businesses as one of the “normal harbingers of recessions, [such as] the yield curve, the leading indicators,” Shilling said. “Small businesses are very sensitive to economic conditions … Read more
Starbucks baristas from 21 stores around the country told the company Tuesday that they plan to organize, potentially adding hundreds of new members to a union campaign that’s battling the coffee chain for first contracts. The union, Workers United, said it is the largest group of Starbucks stores to go public with their organizing plans … Read more
Dillon Dix was excited to compete this year in Starbucks’ North America Barista Championship, a company-wide contest in which the winner would receive a paid trip to Starbucks’ coffee farm in Costa Rica. But he found some disappointing news in the fine print about the contest: Unionized Starbucks stores are not eligible to participate. Dix … Read more
Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images New government data shows a surprisingly strong job market for the month of January. But there are signs of weakness in the labor market, based on tens of thousands of workers who have been laid off since 2024 started. U.S. employers announced 82,307 job cuts in January, up from … Read more
Despite brightening economic data — slowing inflation, low unemployment, and a seemingly nonexistent recession — the new year has started off with layoffs. So far in January, Citigroup announced it was cutting 10% of its workforce; within tech, Google cut hundreds of jobs across its engineering and hardware teams, while Amazon reduced headcount in its Prime, Twitch, Audible … Read more
DETROIT, Mich. and TOLEDO, Ohio — Whether they are brand-new temps or 25-year veterans, the auto workers battling the “Big Three” in an unprecedented strike say they are fighting to restore their jobs to the gold-standard working-class careers they were in previous generations. Wages in the auto industry writ large have dropped nearly 20% since … Read more
