
How Part-Time Jobs Became a Trap
For millions of American low-wage workers today, the problem is not overwork—it’s underwork.

Exploring the policies, people, and ideas reshaping the global economy
This work was commissioned, produced, and edited by The Atlantic's editorial staff. Support for this work was provided in part by the organizations listed here.
Support for these stories was provided in part by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The Atlantic maintains full editorial control over its content.

For millions of American low-wage workers today, the problem is not overwork—it’s underwork.

If you thought Elon Musk was really trying to cut costs, you weren’t in on the joke.

They finally got the Democratic Party to listen to them. Then came Trump’s second term.

The MIT economist David Autor helped fracture the old free-trade consensus. But he thinks that what’s replacing it is even worse.

Their new budget framework is the most irresponsible in modern history—and will put the American economy on a very dangerous trajectory.

Chinese manufacturers seem ready for a trade war.

The United States could still prevail if it does everything right. The problem is that the Trump administration is doing everything wrong.

Nothing here has ended well. In fact, it hasn’t even ended.

Investors discounted everything Trump has ever said about trade and tariffs. We’re all going to pay for that mistake.

Instead of leading to reduced trade barriers, the new global tariff plan is all but guaranteed to raise them.