Week of February 17th, 2020

Most jobs in the U.S. are service jobs. They make up the biggest part of the economy, far bigger than manufacturing or farming.

On today’s installment of “United States of Work,” we’re talking with Steve Fields, a Kansas City, Missouri, trucker who sees a lot of this country — and sees economic changes down the road, too.

The coronavirus hit in Asia is bigger than expected. How the epidemic’s expansion is affecting the auto and airline industries in China. One CEO who’s juggling the current challenges that come with doing business between the U.S. and China.

On streaming sites, political ads aren’t always required to disclose who paid for them. How coronavirus is hitting inmates of China’s prison system. What we can learn from Tokyo about affordable housing.

Digital ads don’t always have to say who paid for them.

Services sectors remain somewhat resilient, while manufacturing is struggling with supply-chain disruption from China’s coronavirus outbreak. No India-U.S. trade deal expected on President Trump’s imminent visit. Will steel jobs lost in North East England during the 1970s ever come back?

Seeking a say in corporate decision-making, tech workers are looking for ways to wield influence.

Two Honolulu newlyweds got back from their honeymoon to find he’d been scammed out of a small fortune, and now she was on the hook, too.

Trump has come under fire for behavior that allegedly weakens the rule of law. But that concept isn’t strictly legal.

Plus: Morgan Stanley buys E-Trade, Bath & Body Works is one of the last mall stores standing and our series “United States of Work” heads to Nashville.

Much of the growth of hospice care in the U.S. has been led by for-profit agencies. That’s leading people to ask if there’s a better way.

Ignorance can be used for fair and just decision making.

Home construction ticked up in January. What a jump in the price of acetaminophen in India means for the world’s largest generic drug exporter. A look at economic equality through the “veil of ignorance.” 

The Fab Four were saying something about British public policy with the lyrics, “There’s one for you / Nineteen for me.”

L Brands prepare to sell control of Victoria’s Secret. ViacomCBS reports its earnings for the first time since a December merger. The Beatles teach us something about taxes.

The Economic Policy Institute says the highest earners are getting the biggest raises.

EU leaders meet to work out the bloc’s budget, without the $10 billion contributed by the UK. Acetaminophen prices jump 40% in India. Gold trading is removed from the UK’s official trade statistics.

And tech leaders are in Brussels to join the conversation.

According to the NPD Group, toy sales dropped by 4% last year.

The Census Bureau reported housing starts fell 3.6% in January 2020 from the previous month, but rose 21.4% from January 2019.

Plus: sinking toy sales, new producer price index numbers and what it’s like to build your own house.

The latest producer price index was up 0.5% in January, mostly because of higher service costs, not more expensive goods.

Brigitte Ruthman has always wanted to live in a log home. “It’s like living in artwork,” she said.

Forgoing the Chinese Lunar New Year festivities means spending less money on partying and spending a lot of time indoors.

The EU issues proposed rules on artificial intelligence. The rise in home-building permit applications shows developers are confident about the future. How social media is helping fuel coronavirus fears. Thirty years of Adobe Photoshop, for better and worse.

Chinese residents forgoing travel helps contain the spread of coronavirus. Black homeownership ticks up slightly, but it’s still way lower than it should be. A primer on Michael Milken, the former “junk bond king” whom Trump just pardoned.

The EU wants to be sure there’s human oversight of artificial intelligence, and that AI systems use high-quality data.

The European Commission is expected to unveil new proposals for more oversight over tech giants like Google, Facebook and Amazon. How do perceptions of risk factor into the impact of events like the coronavirus outbreak?

WeWork and other SoftBank-backed startups stumbled. Now what?

While China’s manufacturing arteries are closed, economists worry about big shortages around the world.

That’s according to New York Times reporter Conor Dougherty. We talk with him about the affordable housing crisis and his new book “Golden Gates.”

The fizzy alcoholic beverages seem to be pulling market share mostly from light beer and appeal equally to men and women.

There are 164 million people making this economy go. This year, we’re following 10 of them.

The Galaxy S20 will be ready for next-generation wireless networks, which should improve later this year.

A set of recordings posted to YouTube circulated among late last year … before abruptly disappearing.

“The labor shortage continues to be the number one issue for homebuilders,” one economist said.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics would categorize Steve’s job as “production, transportation, and material moving” along with butchers, sewing machine operators and furniture makers, to name a few. One in 10 workers in the U.S. labor force are in this category.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics would categorize Rocio’s job most broadly as “natural resources, construction and maintenance occupations.” One in 10 workers work jobs in that category.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics would categorize his occupation under “management, professional, and related occupations,” along with four in 10 US workers.

Kate’s work is part of the “Sales and Office Occupations,” category, like 20% of the U.S. labor force. She has an associate’s degree.

Gaile is part of the sales industry and works part time. She’s part of the largest growing segment of workers — those over 55.

Derrick’s work is characterized as “management, professional, like 40% of the U.S. workforce.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics would categorize her under “management, professional, and related occupations,” along with four in 10 U.S. workers. This category also includes teachers, dentists, CEOs and a wide range of other professions.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics would categorize Neil’s job as a “service occupation,” along with a wide range of other workers. Two in 10 people work jobs in that category.

Ashley is part of the service industry and like 80% of the U.S. labor force, works full time.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics would categorize his job under “management, professional, and related occupations,” along with four out of 10 U.S. workers.

Our re-imagining of the 164 million people who make this economy work.

We’re getting the first official numbers on the coronavirus’s impact on global business. The Boy Scouts of America face bankruptcy amid hundreds of lawsuits over sexual abuse. Some credit cards are offering great perks with commensurate annual fees.

The NBA just opened its first official store in Mexico. It’s also starting a major partnership in Mexico City.

Apple says coronavirus fears have affected the supply and demand of its products. HSBC is cutting 35,000 jobs in a restructuring. Homebuilders are still looking for workers in this tight labor market. The NBA pushes to gain fans in Mexico.

The Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center says only about 10% of households now have an incentive to donate.

HSBC is set to axe 35,000 jobs worldwide. Singapore sets aside more than $4 billion to deal with the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. How coronoavirus restrictions on Chinese travelers have impacted U.K. tourism.

Businesses born to be acquisition targets may be less explicit about that.

Also, the sleep economy, apps helping native business and how George Washington handled national debt.

It’s part of a larger strategy to exit unprofitable markets.

Lost productivity from lack of sleep costs the economy billions of dollars.

The first president warned the country against accumulating national debt. Today the U.S. owes over $23 trillion.

A business incubator and new app aim to help struggling Native American businesses expand their reach and find new customers.

With homeownership out of reach for many young people, journalist Angela Lashbrook called Zillow “a place we can imagine ourselves in a new reality.”

New Walmart Health facilities in Georgia have separate entrances and they look like clinics, not Walmart stores.

Refill stations sell beauty products and home cleaning supplies in little to no packaging.

Why? Because the stock market is up.

if it’s a trend, it’s one the Midwest company has been on top of for 125 years.

Some of the world’s largest economies are slowing down. Retirement savings are up thanks to the booming stock market and more generous employers. What a tractor magazine tells us about brand loyalty.

The retail giant promises to make medical care affordable and convenient. Reynolds has a sustainability problem. The growing trend of no-plastic “refill stations.”

Japan’s economy shrinks at its fastest rate in six years. Tesla’s German factory plans hit the skids. London Fashion Week goes ahead despite coronavirus fears.

While Tinder now has a panic button on its app, it also knows more about what you’re up to