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Darian Woods

Stories

  • Business

    How to invest like Congress

    Traders are using publicly available data to track which lawmakers are reporting big stock market gains. We try to copy them.

  • Business

    What are "Ghost Jobs"?

    A vexing phenomenon is plaguing the labor market. "Ghost jobs" refer to listings by employers that either aren't real or have already been filled but never lead to an actual hire. This is frustrating not only to job seekers but also to the Federal Reserve, which is trying to steer the economy to a stable place.

  • Slimer from ghostbusters. (Photo by Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images)
    Business

    Ghost jobs

    Today's jobs report shows a slight rise in unemployment to 4%. And some frustrated job seekers are growing tired of applying for job after job with no replies, sometimes asking whether the listings are even real. And this isn't just vexing for applicants. It's also haunting economists when trying to figure out how much slack there is in the labor market, and whether interest rates should be raised or lowered. Today on the show: the rise of ghost jobs. Where they're happening and why. Related episodes: Not too hot, not too cold: a 'Goldilocks' jobs report The Beigie Awards: From Ghosting to Coasting For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.