Economy

With new jobs numbers out Friday and the recent anemic growth in the GDP, NPR takes stock of the economy three months before the election.

A stronger than expected jobs report from the Labor Department on Friday showed that employers added 255,000 jobs to payrolls in July. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.9 percent.

People look to the reports to assess the labor market. But the number of jobs created and destroyed monthly is so large, most economists recognize the monthly reports aren't statistically significant.

As part of a state law designed to help equalize pay for women, employers are now prohibited from asking about an employee's previous salary. Advocates say the question creates a cycle of low pay.

In Pennsylvania, disposal of out-of-state waste is an important revenue source for some small towns. But Keystone Sanitary Landfill's plan to expand is meeting strong opposition.

Sales of cargo shorts have fallen for the first time in a decade, according to a market research group. The Wall Street Journal reports that this men's fashion staple may no longer be in vogue.