SUMMARY: The U.S. jobless rate is the lowest it's been in 17 years and President Trump claimed credit in his address to the NRA, saying the GOP tax cuts are part of the reason. But while companies have reported a very profitable first quarter, wage growth remains sluggish. Has the tax law really translated into the hiring that was promised? William Brangham talks with Jim Tankersley of The New York Times.
JUDY WOODRUFF (NewsHour): Republicans and Democrats are likely to spend much of this midterm election year debating the virtues of the federal government, particularly when it comes to addressing income inequality. But it turns out that one big idea for changing how the government provides financial assistance may have appeal to some on the left and the right.
It’s a minimum level of government payments known as guaranteed basic income. And while it’s not exactly in the mainstream yet, the idea is gaining traction, as our economics correspondent, Paul Solman, found out, part of his ongoing reporting Making Sense of financial news.
PAUL SOLMAN (NewsHour): In Switzerland last fall, activists dumped eight million coins outside Parliament, one for each Swiss citizen. Their cause? A guarantee that every citizen get a yearly income of 30,000 Swiss francs, about $34,000, whether they work or not.
