Bloomberg Benchmark

Many older Americans are living longer and are happy to keep working. Others can't afford to retire. Those are just a couple of the reasons why people over age 65 are swelling the ranks of U.S. employees in recent decades. On this week's episode of Stephanomics, Matthew Boesler takes a closer look at this phenomenon and how it's reshaping the world's largest economy.  Stephanie Flanders delves deeper into this issue in an interview with Teresa Ghilarducci, an economist at the New School for Social Research, from the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California. Then Stephanie visits Bloomberg's Los Angeles bureau to chat with reporter Anousha Sakoui about the new economics of global cinema following the record-setting haul of the latest Avengers film.

Will a dose of free-market policies -- from a populist politician, no less -- finally bring Latin America's biggest economy back to life? On this week's episode of Stephanomics, Bruce Douglas visits the region's busiest port to get a taste of what's ailing Brazil -- and the possible cure.  Stephanie also brings you the second part of her interview with Harvard University economist Larry Summers -- the former U.S. Treasury secretary and Obama adviser -- with his comments on Brazil's economy and the new thinking on progressive U.S. fiscal policy. Finally, Stephanie talks with editor Catarina Saraiva about Bloomberg’s dreaded Misery Index.

Of the many forces driving the wave of hiring across the U.S. in recent years, technology is typically not on the list because automation and artificial intelligence tend to be seen as job-killing rather than job-enhancing. On this week's episode of Stephanomics, reporter Craig Torres visits a hospital where new technologies are actually creating the need for more -- not fewer -- employees.Then, Stephanie interviews Larry Summers -- the Harvard University economist and former U.S. Treasury secretary -- for his predictions on technology and employment, plus his thoughts on the U.S. economy and Federal Reserve. Finally, Stephanie talks with Bloomberg reporter Jeanna Smialek about how central bankers may be reduced to using what one economist calls "poor man's monetary policy."

On this new show from Bloomberg, hosts Mike Regan and Sarah Ponczek speak with expert guests each week about the main themes influencing global markets. They explore everything from stocks to bonds to currencies and commodities, and how each asset class affects trading in the others. Whether you’re a financial professional or just a curious retirement saver, What Goes Up keeps you apprised of the latest buzz on Wall Street and what the wildest movements in markets will mean for your investments.

The trade war between the U.S. and China is taking a toll on growth in the world's two largest economies, but there's another nation where the tariff battle is producing a clear winner: Vietnam.    This week, reporters Michelle Jamrisko and Uyen Nguyen visit a furniture maker in Hanoi to get a sense of how companies are profiting from the U.S.-China tensions. Stephanie also talks with Bloomberg Opinion columnist Daniel Moss about the trade war and other forces shaping Asia's economies, then catches up with Bloomberg trade-coverage czar Brendan Murray about the implications of an interesting recent World Trade Organization decision. 

Fortnite may be the biggest video-game phenomenon with more than 200 million registered players. It's also a good place to start if you want to understand globalization -- and the new directions the global economy is taking today.  In the premiere episode of Stephanomics, hosted by Bloomberg Economics head Stephanie Flanders, reporter Shawn Donnan explains how Fortnite has not only bypassed the U.S.-China trade war, but is also a key example of what's happening in the new digital economy. Then Stephanie talks with economist Richard Baldwin about how technology is crossing borders and changing the labor market.

Stephanie Flanders, Bloomberg's head of economics, takes you on location each week to bring the global economy to life. From Asia's factories to Brazil's ports and America's hospital corridors, Stephanomics delivers on-the-ground reporting from the Bloomberg Economics team around the world and talks with experts for analysis of hot topics.

Stephanie Flanders, Bloomberg's senior executive editor for economics, has some exciting news about what's coming in the Benchmark feed.

On this new show from Bloomberg, hosts Francesca Levy and Rebecca Greenfield navigate the productivity industry by way of their own experiences. In each episode, one of the two becomes a human guinea pig as she tries to solve a specific work-related problem. Using the advice of so-called productivity experts, the duo tackles obstacles like ineffective to-do lists, overflowing inboxes and unruly meetings. Follow along with their attempts, insights and missteps, and maybe find a solution that will work for you.

Most U.S. economic data, such as jobs and consumer spending, is based not on actual data, but on surveys of Americans and businesses. What if you could look at every single purchase that people make, or peek at the bank accounts of every small business? The JPMorgan Chase Institute is trying to do just that -- using the bank's vast customer data -- and sniff out trends in the economy that are invisible in the official numbers.

Wildfires and hurricanes are causing increasing destruction, part of how climate change is reshaping economies around the world. There are also business and investment opportunities in dealing with the effects -- though you may have to think in the very long term.

With power-shifting elections, emerging-market turbulence and a trade war making waves, how does it all add up for the world economy in 2019? Catherine Mann, chief global economist at Citigroup, joins Benchmark for a tour of major economies including the U.S., China and Japan, highlighting what's going to be OK, what's not, and why it's wrong to think of "emerging markets" as their own entity.

Look beyond headlines on unemployment and job creation and you'll see a bigger transformation. The global market for labor was boosted for three decades by a handful of historical flukes now going into reverse. Robots everywhere, including China, will be at the forefront of this change, says Andrew Schwedel, a partner at Bain & Co. He tells Bloomberg Opinion's Daniel Moss and Scott Lanman of Bloomberg News why the era of plentiful labor is ending.  

What’s the most sure-fire way to get a flight upgrade? How can you find the best, secret local restaurants by asking just one question? What's the first thing you should do when you get into a hotel room? On Bloomberg's new podcast Travel Genius, we'll give you those answers—and plenty more—as hosts Nikki Ekstein and Mark Ellwood quiz the world’s most experienced globetrotters for their tried-and-true travel hacks. Listen weekly, and even your work trips will go from a necessary evil to an expert art form. Plus, you'll be padding out your bucket list with dreams of amazing future vacations. 

Where does a medical cure come from? 100 years ago, it wasn't uncommon for scientists to test medicines by taking a dose themselves. As medical technologies get cheaper and more accessible, patients and DIY tinkerers are trying something similar—and mainstream medicine is racing to catch up. Prognosis explores the leading edge of medical advances, and asks who gets—or should get—access to them. We look at how innovation happens, when it fails, and what it means to the people with a disease trying to feel better, live longer, or avoid death.

Paul Volcker made his mark as the inflation-defeating chairman of the Federal Reserve. Now at age 91, he's just published a new memoir called "Keeping At It." His collaborator happens to be Bloomberg Markets editor Christine Harper, who shares the inside story of what it was like to work with him.

The housing market is one of the few sectors of the U.S. economy that isn't sharing in the recent pickup in growth. Purchases are slowing down, builders aren't building so much, and some people are even reluctant to post their properties for sale. Scott Lanman digs into the details with Bloomberg reporter Prashant Gopal and Bloomberg economist Yelena Shulyatyeva.

Bloomberg’s head of economics Stephanie Flanders calls on Bloomberg's worldwide network of reporters and expert commentators to cast a fresh eye on looming challenges for the world economy which affect us all.This 6 part podcast combines on the ground reporting with expert discussion on the future of cities, finance and technology, trade, global governance and making growth more inclusive. It's the start of a global conversation on how to confront these issues which will continue in Singapore in early November, when around 400 top business leaders and thinkers from across the globe will gather in Singapore for the first New Economy Forum.

In the final episode of our special series on China's Belt and Road initiative, we go to Europe to learn more about how that continent is involved with the giant infrastructure project. Bloomberg reporter Tom Mackensie takes us to a sprawling port in Athens dubbed the "Dragon's Head," and run by China in partnership with Costco; and then to a small town in Germany that is being transformed by the project.

The creation story of the first exchange-traded fund is actually the best way to understand how they work. And it's not just educational, it's entertaining. Like the PC and the MP3, the story of the creation of SPY -- which turned 30 this year -- is full of characters, twists and turns, and subplots. In the end, the product launched an industry that's reshaping not just investing but the entire financial ecosystem. This six-episode miniseries will weave together interviews with the founding fathers and other key players that help investors better understand the ETF and how we got here.