Marketplace for Friday, April 5, 2013
Apr 5, 2013

Marketplace for Friday, April 5, 2013

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Monthly job numbers were released, and there are fewer workers in the workplace again, many of them leaving the job hunt discouraged. We talk to a discouraged worker about that choice. Plus, Bank of America is creating a new relationship between you and their ATMs -- they'll let you live chat with “tellers” who can assist you. All $1 bills for your $100 deposit? They can make it happen. At the top of the corporate food chain, corporate heads have been rolling this week, as boards punish poor performers. JC Penney cut their top executive's pay by 96 percent. We try to figure out why he's staying on with all the missing zeroes on his pay check.

Segments From this episode

The latest fashion trend: Pajama bottoms as daywear

Apr 5, 2013
Trendsetters, take note: sales of men's pajamas bottoms have jumped 15 percent in the last year.

Burning paper iPhones: Transferring wealth to the afterlife in China

Apr 5, 2013
The Chinese are celebrating the annual tomb sweeping holiday, a day when people sweep the gravestones of their ancestors and burn money, paper villas, and cardboard consumer products in the belief that it'll comfort deceased loved ones.

Renting homes to recovering addicts, for a profit

Apr 5, 2013
A growing number of U.S. homeowners are renting rooms to recovering addicts and turning their properties into so-called ‘sober homes.’ It's a hot but sketchy new real estate market.

The sequester's ripple effects on jobs in March

Apr 5, 2013
The March jobs report disappoints, with only 88,000 jobs added. Analysts point to the sequester as a reason for the drop after a strong February.

Behind the ATM: Bank of America wants you to come back inside the actual bank

Apr 5, 2013
Banks have pushed customers to ATMs and online banking for years. Now Bank of America is inviting people to come in, chat, talk with real bankers and tellers.

Staying on as a CEO...at 4 percent of your usual pay

Apr 5, 2013
JCPenney cut a top executive's salary by more than 96 percent. Other corporate boards also took a whack this week at poor performers. The curious case of executives who know they're not doing well, but keep working anyway.
JCPenney CEO Ron Johnson at Pier 57 on January 25, 2012 in New York City.
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for jcpenney

Why have so many people given up looking for work?

Apr 5, 2013
The jobs numbers are out and the work force is shrinking again. Why are people quitting their searches and what do they do once they've stopped? We hear from a discouraged worker.

Beware the rise of the robo-grader

Apr 5, 2013
EdX is launching a new free online service that grades papers and provides instant feedback on student essays.

Monthly job numbers were released, and there are fewer workers in the workplace again, many of them leaving the job hunt discouraged. We talk to a discouraged worker about that choice. Plus, Bank of America is creating a new relationship between you and their ATMs — they’ll let you live chat with “tellers” who can assist you. All $1 bills for your $100 deposit? They can make it happen. At the top of the corporate food chain, corporate heads have been rolling this week, as boards punish poor performers. JC Penney cut their top executive’s pay by 96 percent. We try to figure out why he’s staying on with all the missing zeroes on his pay check.

Music from the episode