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Labor

With labor and supply still tight, a Detroit business owner finds an optimistic new normal

by Nicholas Guiang
Feb 1, 2023
Supply chain hangups and labor shortages have frustrated small businesses. But for a custom frame shop in Detroit, optimism is high for 2023.
Eric Vaughn of Eric's I've Been Framed Shop has handled business smoothly, despite being down to just two employees.
Courtesy Vaughn
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I've Always Wondered ...

When did movie credits get so long?

by Janet Nguyen
Dec 9, 2022
Some early Hollywood films didn’t even list the actors.
A view of the credits for 2021's "Dune," which lasted nearly 8 minutes.
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"The Workers Cup"

Inside the "kafala" migrant labor system

by David Brancaccio , Erika Soderstrom and Jarrett Dang
Nov 18, 2022
The system has come under scrutiny over alleged human rights and labor abuses during the construction preceding the World Cup.
Foreign laborers make up the overwhelming majority of Qatar. The country's "sponsorship" system has come under scrutiny from human rights activists in the leadup to the World Cup.
Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
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Pilot contract negotiations go south at major airlines

by Meghan McCarty Carino
Nov 3, 2022
This week, pilots at both American and United Airlines rejected tentative contract deals, and Delta pilots voted to authorize a strike if negotiations break down.
Delta Airlines pilots picketing for a new contract in September 2022. Their union recently voted to authorize a strike if contract negotiations break down.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
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Why this Buffalo manufacturer is "a little bit excited" about an economic slowdown

by Kai Ryssdal , Andie Corban and Maria Hollenhorst
Nov 3, 2022
The tight job market means it's been years since Matt Gehman has hired new qualified employees at MMG Industrial and Metal Locking Service.
"We cannot hire people and bring them in and plug them in. It’s 100% on-the-job training at our expense," says Matt Gehman, above at his facility in Buffalo, New York.
Brandon Watson
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Rebooting a multibillion-dollar business after tens of thousands of layoffs

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban
Nov 1, 2022
Jerry and Lou Jacobs, co-CEOs of global hospitality company Delaware North, say inflation is a bigger concern than labor right now.
Jerry, left, and Lou Jacobs are co-CEOs of Buffalo-based company Delaware North. Inflation requires the business to be agile and flexible, Lou Jacobs says.
Brandon Watson
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Freight railroad union rejects contract, renewing possibility of a strike

by Lily Jamali
Oct 11, 2022
Working conditions are a major sticking point, particularly draconian schedules, for members of the third-largest railroad union.
By industry estimates, overall costs of a strike could reach $2 billion a day.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
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In a show of optimism, small businesses have been doing a lot of capital spending

by Justin Ho
Oct 11, 2022
Sometimes the spending is to stay afloat in a competitive market. And sometimes it's to take advantage of new opportunities.
Recent data show that wages aren't growing at a fast enough rate to keep up with inflation, which impacts low-income workers the hardest.
Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images
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Paint is still in short supply in the U.S., and more expensive

by Kai Ryssdal and Anais Amin
Sep 19, 2022
Suppliers are prioritizing core products, says the owner of Ryan Amato Painting, but deep colors and clear coats can be hard to get.
Looking for paint in a deep color? That could be a problem.
Georgijevic via Getty Images
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American workers are becoming less productive. Blame the pandemic.

by Justin Ho
Aug 8, 2022
It's a volatile indicator, but the trend has been downward.
A worker assembles the interior of a safe. Many small business are looking to boost revenues in anticipation of a potential recession.
George Frey/Getty Images
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