Aug 4, 2017

08/04/2017: Who’s benefiting from this economic climate?

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The government is releasing the July jobs report this morning, and economists expect to see about 180,000 more people on payrolls. We'll take a look a look at how the labor market is giving a boost to demographic groups that may have had trouble finding work in the past. Afterwards, we'll look at Amazon's plans to apply a hassle-free returns policy to all items purchased on the website, and then chat with Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Zweig about the decline of individual stock picking.

Segments From this episode

Why are we increasingly becoming passive investors?

by David Brancaccio

Aug 4, 2017

The search for that one great undervalued company is becoming less common.

Traders work on the floor after the ringing of the opening bell to celebrate the New York Stock Exchange's 225th anniversary on May 17.

JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

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Strong jobs market boosts demographic groups that usually lag in employment

by Mitchell Hartman

Aug 4, 2017

As unemployment continues to fall and employers scramble to find the workers they need, demographic groups that traditionally lag economically are benefiting. The unemployment rate for African-Americans fell to 7.1 percent in June, just shy of the all-time low of 7 percent hit in April 2000. Unemployment rates for young people and those with a […]

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Hassle-free returns will apply to all sellers on Amazon’s site from October

by Aaron Schrank

Aug 4, 2017

Amazon announced this week that it’s going to apply its hassle-free returns policy to all items purchased on the website from October. That’s good news for consumers, but it’s a new burden for some third-party Amazon sellers, who, until now, could have policies of their own. Click the audio player above to hear the full […]

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Timeshare owners are suing the U.S. Virgin Islands over new fee

by Marketplace Contributor

Aug 4, 2017

U.S. Virgin Islands faces lawsuit over a $25 a day fee to shore up its $2 billion bond debt.

Tourists travel on the ferry from St. Thomas to St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Anna Boiko-Weyrauch/for Marketplace

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Mid-day Update

08/04/2017: The Fed's next course of action

by David Brancaccio

Aug 4, 2017

Last month's jobs report is officially in: the U.S. economy added 209,000 jobs in July, with the unemployment rate ticking down to 4.3 percent. Christopher Low, chief economist at FTN Financial, joined us to put the numbers into context and share how he thinks Janet Yellen and co. might react to the report. Afterwards, we'll discuss the U.S. Virgin Islands' economic woes, which it's trying to help solve by imposing $25-a-day timeshare fees.

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U.S. gains 209,000 jobs, unemployment rate falls to 4.3 percent

by Marketplace Contributor

Aug 4, 2017

However, wage growth remains slow.

Job seekers wait in line to meet with a recruiter.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The government is releasing the July jobs report this morning, and economists expect to see about 180,000 more people on payrolls. We’ll take a look a look at how the labor market is giving a boost to demographic groups that may have had trouble finding work in the past. Afterwards, we’ll look at Amazon’s plans to apply a hassle-free returns policy to all items purchased on the website, and then chat with Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Zweig about the decline of individual stock picking.