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This Week in Business
US Employment and Labor 2019: A Look Ahead
We're featuring a series this month called “2019: A Look Ahead” and continue with a look at the current labor markets. 2018 ended with very positive news: the economy added around 2.6 million jobs in 2018, and wages grew by 3.2 percent. The labor participation rate climbed over 63 percent, meaning more people were coming back into the workforce, which also nudged the unemployment rate up a bit to 3.9 percent. As 2019 starts, 20 states and around two dozen cities are raising the minimum wage. However, the country is now feeling the effects of the government shutdown, the current trade war, and a shaky Wall Street. So, what can we expect to see this year? Host Dan Loney is joined by Peter Cappelli, the Director of the Center for Human Resources and Professor of Management at the Wharton school, and Iwan Barankay is an Associate Professor of Management and Associate Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at Wharton, to discuss their projections for the labor market in 2019 on Knowledge@Wharton.
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AI’s Real Impact on Jobs and Productivity
14:26|Peter Cappelli, Wharton Professor of Management, discusses why artificial intelligence has yet to significantly replace jobs, how companies are navigating AI investments and organizational change, and what new graduates should understand about the evolving workforce and productivity landscape.
Career Growth, Job Mobility, and the Modern Workforce
11:03|Matthew Bidwell, Professor of Management at the Wharton School, explores the realities of job hopping, the importance of adaptability and skill-building early in a career, and how economic conditions and AI may shape career decisions for new graduates entering the workforce.
Rethinking Urban Tax Policy Through Land Value Taxation
11:32|Robert Inman, Wharton Professor Emeritus of Finance, discusses how land value taxation, inspired by economist Henry George and successfully implemented in cities like Pittsburgh, could provide New York City with a more sustainable way to raise revenue without discouraging investment, housing development, or business growth.
How Economic Strain and AI Are Reshaping Family Roles
13:52|Corinne Low, Wharton Associate Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, discusses how rising costs, persistent gender inequalities, and emerging AI-driven labor shifts are intensifying pressures on working mothers and reshaping economic and household roles.
How AI Agents Are Transforming Modern Marketing Strategy
15:14|Stefano Puntoni, Wharton Marketing Professor and co-director of the Wharton Human-AI Research Program, discusses how AI-driven search, discovery, and autonomous agents are transforming marketing, consumer behavior, and the balance between human and machine decision-making.
Climate Regulation Rollbacks and the Rise of Nuisance Lawsuits
13:26|Sarah Light, Wharton Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, examines how efforts to repeal the EPA’s endangerment finding under the Clean Air Act could limit federal regulatory authority while opening the door to expanded state-level nuisance lawsuits against power plants and fossil fuel companies.
Markets React to Iran Tensions and Rate Uncertainty
12:14|Jeremy Siegel, Wharton Emeritus Professor of Finance and Senior Economist at WisdomTree, explains how Iran-related tensions, Federal Reserve uncertainty, and continued AI sector expansion are influencing market resilience, investor sentiment, and the outlook for interest rates and equities.
Measuring the Impact of Europe’s Conservation Targets and Policies
14:00|Arthur van Benthem, Wharton Professor of Business, Economics and Public Policy examines how European Union land protection policies—despite meeting ambitious coverage targets—may fall short in delivering meaningful biodiversity and ecosystem restoration impacts.
Why Reverse Morris Trust Deals Demand Strategic Discipline
12:26|Emilie Feldman, Wharton Professor of Management, discusses how reverse Morris Trust transactions influence merger strategy, tax efficiency, and value creation through scale-driven synergies.