America’s not-so-hot job market, why customer service may be taking a nosedive, and more top insights

During the week, the Daily Rundown brings you the day’s trending professional news. On the weekend, we try to keep you current on the big ideas that can help you see what’s coming. Read on and join the conversation.

A not-so-hot job market after all? At first blush, it may seem like the U.S. is experiencing a red-hot labor market, with some 164,000 jobs created in July 2019 and unemployment at a record low of 3.7%. But the broader picture reveals something quite different, writes Axios’ Steve LeVine. Monthly average job growth for the past three months was 140,000, compared to 211,000 in 2018. And real average annual wage growth has been a meager 1.6%, compared to 4% or more before the recession. What’s going on? Part-time workers may be struggling to find full-time gigs, which could in turn be limiting wage growth. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

It pays to be born in a big city: Those who are born in large cities enjoy greater earning power later on in life, according to a new study published in the Journal of Urban Economics. The study, which tracked 7,500 British people over 18 years, found that someone born in London in 1971 would earn 6.6% more than their Manchester counterpart and 9.3% than a person born in Liverpool. What gives big city kids the upper hand? More educational options, perhaps. Having larger social networks also helps, writes CityLab’s Richard Florida. It also may have to do with the influence of big city parents, who are more likely to have higher levels of education and work in professional fields. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

Shoppers hit their breaking point: A growing share of companies — airlines, wireless carriers — are analyzing customer behavior, personalities and even their voices to determine what they will, and will not, tolerate when they call for support, The Wall Street Journal reports. AI and other tools gauge how much of a runaround customers will endure before they sever their relationship with a business. That moment is called the “breakpoint,” and cost-conscious firms are taking customers right up to that edge. The trend comes in the wake of last decade’s recession, when many firms took an ax to their customer service operations. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

The rise of cow-free dairy: A handful of startups are vying to develop dairy products — milk, cheese, ice cream — that don’t require the use of animals, as part of an effort to reduce emissions and improve animal welfare, according to The New York Times. Similar to the work of companies like Beyond Meat, these firms are looking to produce the proteins that give dairy its taste and texture — whey and casein — in the lab, rather than via cow-powered dairy farms. There are an estimated 1.4 billion cows in the world, and they account for 65% of the emissions tied to the livestock industry. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

A bot with roach-like stamina: Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a tiny robot that can withstand a serious beating. Inspired by the cockroach, the postage stamp-sized bot is made of a material called polyvinylidene fluoride, which is able to expand and contract when electric currents are applied to it. This ability allows the robot to survive beneath 132 pounds of weight. It’s fast too, traveling as much as 20 body lengths per second. Such abilities could prove critical during search and rescue operations in the aftermath of a disaster. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

One last idea:  When it comes to pursuing major projects — the kind that require us to go out on a limb — it’s easy for setbacks and disappointments to throw us into a state of creative paralysis. That’s partly why the late Broadway director and producer Hal Prince made sure to stay in motion, writes critic Jesse Green. 

“Flop or hit, he would gather his team on the morning after opening night, as he had for decades, to plan his next show. It gave him the practice anyone needs, and it took the pressure off any one production. To bring things to light, you have to keep working further into the dark.“

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— Scott Olster