Economy + Business - The Conversation

A young man with glasses looks confused and exasperated as he sits in front of a computer, while two colleagues discuss something behind him.

A young man with glasses looks confused and exasperated as he sits in front of a computer, while two colleagues discuss something behind him.

Gen Z communicates differently in the workplace, but older colleagues can still decode them

Jeff LeBlanc, Boston University

A man dressed in a dark suit and dress shirt walks while another man in a suit trails him and photographers shoot his picture.

A man dressed in a dark suit and dress shirt walks while another man in a suit trails him and photographers shoot his picture.

Why making Americans bet with cash could protect people from gambling problems

Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University

Why fuel prices may go higher still

Joshua Busby, The University of Texas at Austin and Greg Pollock, Georgetown University

A cartoon chart shows a line trending upward, with a figure of a person hanging onto an upward-pointing arrow at the top.

A cartoon chart shows a line trending upward, with a figure of a person hanging onto an upward-pointing arrow at the top.

The tourism industry is slowly waking up to solo travelers’ needs

Peter McGraw, University of Colorado Boulder

A male hiker with a large backpack stands over a body of water surrounded by plunging cliffs.

A male hiker with a large backpack stands over a body of water surrounded by plunging cliffs.

US consumers and businesses are now facing a future of more expensive borrowing

John W. Diamond, Rice University

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, wearing a grey suit and a blue tie, speaks at a news conference in Washington on July 29, 2026.

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, wearing a grey suit and a blue tie, speaks at a news conference in Washington on July 29, 2026.

How employers can make good decisions about remote work before the next crisis strikes

Sebastian Fixson, Babson College

A few people work in a dimly lit and largely empty office.

A few people work in a dimly lit and largely empty office.

Read more Economy and Business articles

Iran war and the economy

A person stands next to a truck holding a fuel-dispensing nozzle.

A person stands next to a truck holding a fuel-dispensing nozzle.

Oil and gas industry expected surplus – but war brought shortage instead

John Patrick Schoeneman Jr., Oklahoma State University

Emerging Houthi–Al-Shabaab co-operation and the growing threat to Red Sea shipping

Brendon Novel, Université de Montréal

Houthi supporters dance to celebrate

Houthi supporters dance to celebrate

What’s in the price of a gallon of gas?

Robert I. Harris, Georgia Institute of Technology

A person stands between a gas pump and a vehicle, with gas prices of $4.29 for a gallon of regular displayed in the background.

A person stands between a gas pump and a vehicle, with gas prices of $4.29 for a gallon of regular displayed in the background.

Oil and gas industry expected surplus – but war brought shortage instead

John Patrick Schoeneman Jr., Oklahoma State University

A person stands next to a truck holding a fuel-dispensing nozzle.

A person stands next to a truck holding a fuel-dispensing nozzle.

Oil shortages escalate from wars in Iran and Ukraine, with few signs of relief

Amy Myers Jaffe, New York University; Tufts University

People stand on a street next to many metal cylinders.

People stand on a street next to many metal cylinders.

Read more about the war in Iran

Economics

Many women wearing blue jeans and white T-shirts standing in a long line.

Many women wearing blue jeans and white T-shirts standing in a long line.

American women in communities with ample broadband access lose less time waiting for services, reducing time poverty

Mattia Caldarulo, Rochester Institute of Technology; Andrea Hetling, Rutgers University, and Gregory Porumbescu, Rutgers University - Newark

US-Canada trade war deepens as Trump revives Depression-era trade tool – what’s at stake for consumers and the midterms

Kent Jones, Babson College

Two flags – one red and white with a red maple leaf, the other with white stars on a blue background and red and white stripes – wave next to a bridge with cars on it.

Two flags – one red and white with a red maple leaf, the other with white stars on a blue background and red and white stripes – wave next to a bridge with cars on it.

Shoppers are less peeved by cost hikes due to scarcity – but retailers more often blame their own rising costs

Hoorsana Damavandi, University of Tennessee; Kersi D. Antia, Ivey Business School, and Praveen K. Kopalle, Dartmouth College

A stressed-out young woman sits in a shopping cart in a shopping warehouse.

A stressed-out young woman sits in a shopping cart in a shopping warehouse.

The US sells more to Brazil than it buys – but Trump is slapping steep tariffs on its exports anyway

Filipe Mendonça, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU) and Henrique Menezes, Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB)

Shipping containers, cargo cranes and port facilities make for a colorful vista with the sea and mountains in the background.

Shipping containers, cargo cranes and port facilities make for a colorful vista with the sea and mountains in the background.

Labor votes: Discontent will accompany blue‑collar voters to the polls in the midterms

Robert Forrant, UMass Lowell

A man in suit and tie shakes hands with a man wearing a ball cap on stage.

A man in suit and tie shakes hands with a man wearing a ball cap on stage.

Read more about economics

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Business

A couple considers buying fruit at a grocery store, with bananas in the background, while a smiling manager offers help.

A couple considers buying fruit at a grocery store, with bananas in the background, while a smiling manager offers help.

It’s OK if managers step in to help their sales staff – but not too much

Daniel E. Chavez, University of Tennessee

Florida’s proposed property tax amendment will require trade-offs – and some residents could end up with higher costs

Abigail Hall, University of Tampa

real estate tax bill

real estate tax bill

Starbucks’ big marketing blunder in South Korea shows how cultural blind spots can put global brands in a bind

Karen Stollznow, University of Colorado Boulder; Griffith University

Why employers still place a premium on people skills, not AI, when they make hiring decisions

Murugan Anandarajan, Drexel University and Cuneyt Gozu, Drexel University

A Georgia Tech student in a light coral shirt, Michael Oh-Yang, shakes hands with company representatives at a job fair in Atlanta.

A Georgia Tech student in a light coral shirt, Michael Oh-Yang, shakes hands with company representatives at a job fair in Atlanta.

AI data center boom is leaving consumer electronics short of chips − even though they don’t use the same kinds

Vidya Mani, University of Virginia; Cornell University

an irridecent rainbow pattern reflects off a shiny surface covered with repeated patterns of rectangles of various sizes

an irridecent rainbow pattern reflects off a shiny surface covered with repeated patterns of rectangles of various sizes

Read more about business

Work

An instructor and an intern in the BATTERI program work together in a factory.

An instructor and an intern in the BATTERI program work together in a factory.

To crack the job market, internships can be just as key for young people as the degree

Matthew J. Mayhew, The Ohio State University; Courtney DeRoche, The Ohio State University, and Yun-Han Weng, The Ohio State University

The typical gig worker is changing – and struggling more than ever to make ends meet

Jacob Lederman, University of Michigan Flint

A Doordash worker with a face mask rides his bicycle along a path on the West Side Highway in New York City during the COVID pandemic.

A Doordash worker with a face mask rides his bicycle along a path on the West Side Highway in New York City during the COVID pandemic.

Layoffs tied to AI hurt worker productivity – and the reason may surprise managers

Mark Ma, University of Pittsburgh

An advertisement in San Francisco, Calif., for the AI company Artisan depicts a smiling woman against a purple background and reads: "Artisans won't complain about work-life balance."

An advertisement in San Francisco, Calif., for the AI company Artisan depicts a smiling woman against a purple background and reads: "Artisans won't complain about work-life balance."

I surveyed workers to see if AI had caused job losses and was surprised by the findings

Jeffrey C. Dixon, College of the Holy Cross

Dot dot dot symbols inside speech bubbles hover above humanoid chatbot robot working at computer.

Dot dot dot symbols inside speech bubbles hover above humanoid chatbot robot working at computer.

Why working-class people account for around 1% of lawmakers in the US – and only 2% in the average democracy around the world

Noam Lupu, Vanderbilt University and Nicholas Carnes, Duke University

A smiling man clasps hands with another man holding a 'Troy Jackson' campaign sign at a political rally.

A smiling man clasps hands with another man holding a 'Troy Jackson' campaign sign at a political rally.

Read more about work

Finance

An older man looks at a paper statement, with a confused expression, in front of his laptop.

An older man looks at a paper statement, with a confused expression, in front of his laptop.

AI is supercharging money scams – here’s what you can do to protect yourself

Pawan Jain, University of Michigan Flint

Trump administration is withholding more than $1B in Medicaid funds from California and Minnesota, in latest example of weaponizing real and imagined fraud

Ben Zdencanovic, University of Cambridge

Agents, many wearing jackets or vests emblazoned with 'FBI,' exit a building with what appears to be a trove of documents.

Agents, many wearing jackets or vests emblazoned with 'FBI,' exit a building with what appears to be a trove of documents.

Personal bankruptcy filings are soaring in 2026, signaling growing economic distress

Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University

An outstretched arm pokes through a pile of paper, holding a white flag signaling surrender.

An outstretched arm pokes through a pile of paper, holding a white flag signaling surrender.

Got money questions? How to get chatbots to give you accurate answers

Pawan Jain, University of Michigan Flint

A hand holds two coins in front of a laptop keyboard.

A hand holds two coins in front of a laptop keyboard.

Your bank’s AI just blocked your payment – what can you do?

Pragati Awasthi, Drexel University

A blue Visa credit card rests on a grey laptop.

A blue Visa credit card rests on a grey laptop.

Read more about finance

Philanthropy and nonprofits

Two large protrusions made of concrete stand atop a large construction project with many workers milling about.

Two large protrusions made of concrete stand atop a large construction project with many workers milling about.

Is it illegal for the president to spend ‘patriotic’ donations on a White House ballroom or anything else?

Ellen P. Aprill, University of California, Los Angeles

Trump administration’s Freedom 250 organization allegedly misdirected donors away from bipartisan America250 charity

Sarah Webber, University of Dayton

Fireworks go off against a dark sky with the word 'freedom' projected onto a monolith in the foreground.

Fireworks go off against a dark sky with the word 'freedom' projected onto a monolith in the foreground.

Foundations can outlive their charitable missions – and that’s a problem

Thomas Adam, University of Arkansas

Bill Gates looks contemplative while sitting in front of a window.

Bill Gates looks contemplative while sitting in front of a window.

A little-remembered Gilded Age millionaire helped make milk safe for American kids through his ‘retail giving’

Leslie Lenkowsky, Indiana University

This black and white photo is of a girl holding a bottle of milk and a basket outside a doorway.

This black and white photo is of a girl holding a bottle of milk and a basket outside a doorway.

Nonprofit fraud: Amid high-profile prosecutions, an accountant explains what’s really going on

Sarah Webber, University of Dayton

A man stares blankly ahead while walking and being videoed by a woman in a red dress.

A man stares blankly ahead while walking and being videoed by a woman in a red dress.

Read more about philanthropy and nonprofits

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