Labor Day weekend got off to a rough start this year with some pretty dismal jobs numbers. The economy created a net gain of zero jobs last month. President Obama will surely use that troubling statistic to drive home his message in his jobs speech this Thursday evening. Many different solutions have been offered to help the economy recover. Could “buying American” be the fix we need to create jobs? Anders Lewendal, a general contractor in Bozeman, Montana, is trying just that as he constructs a home built mostly from “all American” materials. Lewendal doesn’t believe that everything should be bought American. But he thinks increasing the share of American-purchased products would generate jobs – enough to shrink unemployment. Louise Story, New York Times finance and Wall Street reporter, talks about why buying American is more complicated than it might seem.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!