Initial claims for state unemployment benefits remained below the 300,000 mark last week, as the Labor Department says claims totaled 290,000, which is a pandemic low. This week is when the government conducts the survey that will lead to hiring numbers for October. Diane Swonk joins us to discuss how the cresting COVID numbers might show up in labor market data. We also discuss how the upcoming holiday shopping season has both retailers and consumers worried about different things. An apprenticeship program helps train nurses into better paying positions as nurses in California’s prison system.

Aired October 21, 2021

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