The Breakdown: What's Working in the Job Market

As Washington continues to debate jobs legislation, the Labor Department is preparing to release its monthly unemployment report for September. It is arguably the most important economic report of the year. But what does it all mean to everyday people who are working or who hope to work?

To find out, Kai Ryssdal and the Marketplace team hit the road, visiting communities across the country where jobs have been added, where companies are hiring and where Americans are finding their way back into the labor market. In this new one-hour special, Marketplace will go beyond the headline of the September unemployment report to investigate where the bright spots are and whether they are bright enough to energize the economy.


Arts & Culture

NPR

Where's Jimmy Hoffa? Everywhere And Nowhere

FBI agents believe they have a credible lead on the whereabouts of Jimmy Hoffa's body. If they're right, it will solve a longstanding mystery, which will also deflate Hoffa's resonance in popular culture.

Food

NPR

The Mystery Of the Ridiculously Pricey Bag Of Potatoes

Did a 10-pound bag of potatoes really cost $15 back in 2008? We get to the bottom of some puzzling numbers in the lawsuit alleging America's potato growers have become a spud cartel.

Politics

NPR

House Passes Bill That Would Ban Abortions After 20 Weeks

The legislation is one of the most far-reaching abortion bills in decades and follows the May murder convictions of Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell. The bill, which would ban nearly all abortions starting 20 weeks after fertilization, is unlikely to ever become law.

Technology

NPR

Amazon Cuts Ties In Minnesota Ahead Of New Sales Tax

Amazon ends the contracts of people and businesses that are paid for sending customers to the retailer. The company has taken similar steps in other states that have passed laws like Minnesota's new sales tax legislation.