The Two Most Mysterious Words in Modern Shopping
I investigated the origins of my face wash and stumbled into the peculiar world of private-label products.
Economy
The Professional Triumph of the Firstborns
Why oldest and only children have better odds of running a company
Why Washing Machines Are Learning to Play the Harp
Appliance makers believe more and better chimes, alerts, and jingles make for happier customers. Are they right?
The Great Land Robbery
The shameful story of how 1 million black families have been ripped from their farms
How Economists’ Faith in Markets Broke America
And what it means for our future
The Stock-Buyback Swindle
American corporations are spending trillions of dollars to repurchase their own stock. The practice is enriching CEOs—at the expense of everyone else.
The Economist Who Would Fix the American Dream
No one has done more to dispel the myth of social mobility than Raj Chetty. But he has a plan to make equality of opportunity a reality.
Trump’s Trade War With China Is Already Changing the World
His tariffs are contributing to a “generational shift” in which companies make their products.
At Work, Expertise Is Falling Out of Favor
These days, it seems, just about all organizations are asking their employees to do more with less. Is that actually a good idea?
The Problem With HR
For 30 years, we’ve trusted human-resources departments to prevent and address workplace sexual harassment. How’s that working out?