Making Sen$e with Paul Solman

A Fair Wage

Income for most people is determined by the market value of the productive resources they sell. What workers earn depends, primarily, on the market value of what they produce and how productive they are.

Grades 6-8, 9-12

Focus on Economic Data: U.S. Employment and the Unemployment Rate, April 2013

This lesson examines the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, announcement of employment data and the unemployment rate for the month of April, 2013, reported May 3, 2013. This lesson introduces the basic concepts of the BLS employment and unemployment data. The meaning and impor...

Grades 9-12

Goods and Services: Some are Private, Some are Not

The role of government is to provide for the common defense, define and protect property rights, and enforce contractual arrangements. Throughout the 20th and early 21st century, government has increased its role in economic life. The role of government has expanded to address so-called market fa...

Grades 3-5, 6-8

Competition Works in Our Flavor

Competition provides benefits for consumers. First, more competition means consumers have more choices of goods and services. Second, when more firms are offering goods and services, competition often leads to lower prices.

Grades 3-5, 6-8

Marketplace: Doing Business in Afghanistan

In May 2002, delegates from governments, international companies, and financial institutions met at a United Nations conference in Tehran to discuss the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Afghanistan's officials say that to create a viable economy and a stable society, the country must recreate basic...

Grades 6-8, 9-12