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

Boehner Seeks To Reassure House GOP On Immigration

House Speaker John Boehner strongly suggested he would abide by the Hastert Rule on immigration legislation, meaning no floor vote unless a majority of House Republicans backed the bill.

Technology

NPR

Teens Find The Right Tools For Their Social-Media Jobs

There was a time — a time long, long ago — when MySpace dominated the teen social-media world. Not anymore. NPR's Sami Yenigun looks at how teenagers use various social platforms in today's increasingly segmented online universe.