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A notice in a store window in New York City announces a retail job opening. Now that unemployment has slipped below 6 percent, there's renewed interest in what the Federal Reserve's target for joblessness should be.

A notice in a store window in New York City announces a retail job opening. Now that unemployment has slipped below 6 percent, there's renewed interest in what the Federal Reserve's target for joblessness should be. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Drop In Unemployment Raises Debate On Optimal Rate

Now that unemployment has slipped below 6 percent, there's renewed interest in what the Federal Reserve's target for joblessness should be. Some economists worry that inflation will resurface.

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Saudi Arabia's oil minister, Ali Al-Naimi, shown in Kuwait last month, has played down the drop in oil prices. The country continues to pump oil at high levels, saying it wants to preserve its market share. But this has also contributed to a 25 percent drop in oil prices since June.

Saudi Arabia's oil minister, Ali Al-Naimi, shown in Kuwait last month, has played down the drop in oil prices. The country continues to pump oil at high levels, saying it wants to preserve its market share. But this has also contributed to a 25 percent drop in oil prices since June. Yasser Al-Zayyat/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Yasser Al-Zayyat/AFP/Getty Images

Parallels

As Oil Prices Fall, Who Wins And Who Loses?

Prices are down 25 percent since June, unleashing ripples around the globe that range from lower gas prices in the U.S. to budget problems in Russia to political pressures in the Middle East.

Phillip Underwood and Michelle Sheridan and their children, Logan and Lilliana, gather in their living room in Frederick, Md., after a long day of work and school. The couple had delayed marriage, in part for financial reasons.

Phillip Underwood and Michelle Sheridan and their children, Logan and Lilliana, gather in their living room in Frederick, Md., after a long day of work and school. The couple had delayed marriage, in part for financial reasons. James Clark/NPR hide caption

itoggle caption James Clark/NPR

New Boom

For More Millennials, It's Kids First, Marriage Maybe

Millennials, particularly those with less education, are upending the traditional order of love, marriage, baby carriage. Many say they don't feel financially secure enough to tie the knot.

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Products of the Homer Laughlin China Co. are on display at a showroom at the company's headquarters in Newell, W.Va.

Products of the Homer Laughlin China Co. are on display at a showroom at the company's headquarters in Newell, W.Va. Ross Mantle for NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Ross Mantle for NPR

American Made: The New Manufacturing Landscape

W.Va. Pottery Company Keeps Popular Fiesta Line Thriving

Homer Laughlin China Co. has been making the brightly colored Fiesta dishes for decades at its factory on the banks of the Ohio River. And it's still going strong.

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A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. Stocks took a beating, with key indexes falling more than 2 percent before bouncing back slightly.

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. Stocks took a beating, with key indexes falling more than 2 percent before bouncing back slightly. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Turmoil Continues In Financial Markets As Dow Plunges

Stocks took a beating on Wednesday, with the Dow and the S&P 500 falling more than 2 percent before bouncing back slightly. Money flowed into safe haven investments such as U.S. Treasuries.

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