Business and Economic News

Amid record low unemployment, Minnesota officials highlight underutilized labor pools
In June, Minnesota had the lowest state unemployment rate ever recorded in the U.S., and that means workers are harder than ever to find. Harder — but not impossible. State officials are encouraging employers to dig a little deeper into the labor market.
Feds sue large poultry producers, including Cargill, alleging unfair worker practices
The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against some of the largest poultry producers in the United States. It’s part of an effort to end what the government says are longstanding deceptive and abusive practices for workers.
Tackling medical debt
Many people are one medical emergency away from a financial crisis. Almost two out of every five American adults are living with some form of debt related to cost of health care. MPR News host Angela Davis talks about the toll of medical debt and what can be done about it with a financial counselor, an elder law attorney and the header of a national nonprofit organization that raises donations to forgive medical debt.
Monday marks the first day of Minneapolis’ Black Business week. The event will run for six days and feature a number of opportunities to support local Black-owned businesses. Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal reporter Patrick Rehkamp joined host Cathy Wurzer to talk about that story and the rest of the top business news of the week.
Rents spike as big-pocketed investors buy mobile home parks
Investors are buying up mobile home parks across the country, leading to significant rent increases and complaints of neglect from residents. In Minnesota, park purchases by out-of-state buyers grew from 46 percent in 2015 to 81 percent in 2021, with rent increases as much as 30 percent.
Online pricing algorithms are gaming the system, and could mean you pay more
Online pricing algorithms can game the system and ultimately end up costing the consumer more. And the impact of these program can go beyond just a few extra dollars at checkout.
Corporate America reckons with its role in reproductive rights
A growing list of companies is offering to cover travel expenses for abortion care, if an employee lives in a state with restrictive laws. Yet corporate America still has its own issues to address.