Productivity Advances Increase Profits, Kill Jobs

NPR

Published January 3, 2010 at 12:00 AM EST

In the 1950s, it took nearly 15 man-hours to produce a ton of steel in the U.S. Now it takes around two. Technological advances have made it possible to produce the same amount of steel with a fraction of the workforce.

Related Content

Drugstores say Medicare's $50 obesity drug program is catching on

Sydney Lupkin

The Bridge program, which began July 1, makes some Medicare beneficiaries eligible for obesity drugs for $50 a month. CVS and Walgreens say they've each already filled 100,000 such prescriptions.
Amid rising threats, a WNBA team calls in experts on violent extremism

Odette Yousef

The WNBA's popularity has risen in recent years, but so have threats and abuse directed at its players. One team is taking a novel approach to this, by partnering with national security specialists.
Dolly Parton's Tennessee hometown remembers their hero

Katie Myers

People in Sevierville, Tenn., remember their hometown girl, Dolly Parton — not only for her songs, but for her lifetime of generosity to the place she came from.
In Louisiana, NDAs covered up a data center deal that residents didn't know was coming

Drew Hawkins

Residents of tiny Boyce, La., yelled at local officials for signing agreements that hid a pending deal for a data center. NDAs, common in Louisiana data center deals, are coming under more scrutiny.
Immigration arrests soar, hitting 50,000 in July

Vanessa Romo

Since taking over in March, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has pivoted from the confrontational style of immigration enforcement of his predecessor, Kristi Noem. The latest data is reflective of a strategy that is working

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.