Jan 26, 2021

Organized crime is draining unemployment

Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images

California officials say organized criminal rings and identity thieves stole billions of dollars in jobless benefits during 2020. Plus, the share of the U.S. workforce represented by unions increased last year. And, why paying for college can be too often be driven by emotion rather than data.

Segments From this episode

Criminal rings take billions in California jobless funds through fraudulent claims in 2020

Marketplace’s Nova Safo reports.

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The share of the workforce represented by unions increased last year

by Mitchell Hartman

Jan 26, 2021

Union workers lost fewer jobs than their non-union counterparts because of negotiated furloughs and other protections.

Flight attendants, airline pilots and other aviation workers hold a protest organized by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA union urging Congress to pass a COVID-19 relief package and extend the Paycheck Support Program to save aviation jobs during a rally outside the Capitol in Washington on Sept. 9, 2020.

Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

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How to pay less for college: Merit aid

by David Brancaccio , Meredith Garretson , Rose Conlon , Erika Soderstrom and Alex Schroeder

Jan 26, 2021

If you don’t qualify for need-based financial aid, merit scholarships might be the answer.

Parents may want to impress outsiders by getting their child into a prestigious college. “But what other people don't understand,” says New York Times columnist Ron Lieber, “is whatever financial constraints you may be operating under."

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

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Music from the episode

Lovin' Millennium Jazz Music, Smokedbeat

The team

David Brancaccio Host

Victoria Craig Host, BBC

Stephen Ryan Senior Producer, BBC

Jonathan Frewin Producer, BBC

Daniel Shin Producer

Jay Siebold Technical Director

Brian Allison Engineer

Meredith Garretson Morbey Senior Producer

Erika Soderstrom Producer

Rose Conlon Producer

Alex Schroeder Producer

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