America's men aren't working at the same rate they used to. Experts are still trying to figure out why.
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The share of prime working-age US men with a job has declined from about 96% in the 1950s to 86%.
The effects of recessions, globalization, and disabilities can partially explain the decline.
But there are also several other reasons men aren't working like they used to.
America's working-age men are employed at much lower rates than they used to be, and a combination of factors — from recessions to globalization to rising addiction rates — could be playing a role.
In the early 1950s, as many as 96% of prime working-ageAmerican men, who were between the ages of 25 and 54, had full-time or part-time jobs, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of March, about 86% of working-age men were employed, and this cohort's employment rate has lagged behind many developed countries in recent years, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found.
As such, many men are struggling to support themselves financially. And mental-health experts say the longer people are out of the workforce, the higher the chances they'll experience mental-health challenges.
Here are a few factors that could explain what's happening.
It could be about recessions
Since the 1950s, whenever the US economy fell into a recession, men's employment rate tended to suffer a longer-lasting blow.
When the economy entered a recession in 1953,the share of prime-age men with jobs dropped from 96% to 92.8%and never fully recovered to the prerecession level, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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This pattern repeated in many of the recessions that followed. During the Great Recession of 2008, the prime-age male employment rate fell from 88% to 80.6% — and hasn't reached above 86.7% since. The pandemic recession may prove to be an exception: After falling to as low as 78% in 2020, men's employment rate has nearly recovered to its pre-pandemic level.
"In recent decades, declines in labor-force participation have tended to accompany recessions," Abigail Wozniak, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, told Business Insider. "Participation dips and then does not fully recover."
Why have recessions had such a lasting effect on working men? Even when the economy recovers, some of the jobs that were lost never return — or pay as well as they used to.Given that men have historically dominated the workforce, they've borne the brunt of these job losses.
Why have recessions appeared to have such a lasting impact on working men? Even when the economy recovers, some occupations don't reach prior employment levels — or pay as well as they used to. Given that men have historically dominated the workforce, they've borne the brunt of these impacts.
"If the opportunities available after a downturn pay less than the old opportunities, workers may decide not to work as much despite their lower income," Wozniak said.
And the longer someone is out of the workforce, the more disconnected from the workforce they can become, research has found.
The strong employment-recovery rate after the pandemic recession could be due to the unique nature of this downturn — which tanked an otherwise healthy economy. Some economists believe that increased federal COVID-19 spending allowed the economy to bounce back better this go-round.
The male unemployment rate is low when compared to past decades. But this measure doesn't account for men who have, for a multitude of reasons, stopped looking for work altogether. It's these men who are responsible for America's male employment decline.
In 1950, about 97% of prime-working-age men had a job or were actively looking for work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of January, that figure had fallen to roughly 89%.
Many men with disabilities aren't working
In 1960, roughly 455,000 workers collected Social Security disability benefits. In 2022, more than 7.6 million people, including about 1.3 million men between the ages of 25 and 54, collected disability benefits.
Some of this can be attributed to a growing and aging population and the expansion of these benefits over time. However, a challenging job market has also played a role.
"What drives people to apply for disability is, in many cases, the repeated loss of work and inability to find new employment," David Autor, an economist with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told The Washington Post in 2017. "Many people who are applying would say, 'Look, I would like to work, but no one would employ me.'"
In 2023, about 44% of total men and women with a disability between the ages of 25 and 54 had a job, compared to roughly 83% of those without a disability, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which determines whether someone has a disability through a series of questions.
In a 2022 analysis of Census data by the San Francisco Fed, nearly 40% of prime-working-age men cited disability or illness as the reason they weren't working.
In more recent decades, addiction rates tied to the opioid epidemic have also sidelined some men from the workforce.
In recent years,the rise of remote work and historically high job openings have helped more people with disabilities find employment. In 2023, nearly 23% of Americans with a disability were employed — the largest share on record since data collection began in 2008, according to the BLS.
Other theories: Education, incarceration, and stay-at-home dads
What's more, men now account for less than half of college enrollees. Among Americans 25 and older, the unemployment rate of people with only a high school diploma is 3.9%, compared to 2.2% for those whose highest educational attainment is a bachelor's degree, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In recent years, some companies have become more open to hiring candidates who don't have a college degree. There's also been job growth in industries that historically haven't required degrees, like manufacturing and food services. But finding a job without a degree — and one that pays well — can still be a challenge.
In 2016, the Harvard economist Jason Furman, then the chair of President Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, attributed the decline of prime-age working men largely to the "reduction in the demand for unskilled labor" driven by technological change, adding that men without jobs tended not to have a college education.
Additionally, he said most of these men weren't spending more time on childcare than the average man and weren't relying on working women to pay the bills — suggesting they weren't stay-at-home dads, for instance.
Elise Gould, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, told Business Insider that a stagnant minimum wage and falling unionization rates have contributed to lower pay for some workers. The lower the pay, the less motivated some people might be to take a job.
Some more under-the-radar factors could also be playing a role.
Rising incarceration rates in recent decades could be making it difficult for some men to find work once they return to society, Gould said. Incarcerated men aren't counted in government labor-force statistics, but when they are released, their struggles to find work could depress the average male employment rate.
In the past, many men opted for careers in the military, but there are fewer of these jobs than there used to be. In 1970, there were over 3 million full-time federal government military employees — as of 2022, there were less than 1.5 million.
"Post-World War II, we've seen pretty big declines since the late 60s and throughout the 1990s in terms of federal employment in the military," Gould said.
While the military is actively seeking recruits, it appears to be a less attractive path nowadays for many men —the Army, Navy, and Air Force have struggled to meet recruitment goals.
Research by the Federal Reserve economist John M. Coglianese published in 2018 found that a rise of "in-and-outs" — men who temporarily leave the labor force but ultimately return, was responsible for a large chunk of men's declining working rates.
And of course, some lucky prime-age men aren't working because they've had a lot of financial success and already retired.
With so many factors at play, it's difficult to tease out which issues may affect the number of men in the workforce the most — and what kind of policy decisions could reverse the trend.
"I think that ideally, we would have jobs for everybody who wants one," Gould said.
Are you a man between the ages of 25 and 54 who's not in the workforce? Are you willing to share your story? If so, reach out to this reporter at jzinkula@businessinsider.com.
T-90 tanks on display during the Republic Day Parade 2024 on January 26, 2024 in New Delhi, India.
Raj K Raj/Getty Images
India is trying to modernize its military of 1.5 million people with lessons from Ukraine.
Until recent years, Russia supplied India with many weapons such as tanks and jets.
India is upgrading its artillery and switching to 155mm howitzers, the NATO standard.
As India boosts defense spending amid tensions with China and Pakistan, it is closely studying the Ukraine conflict for clues to the future of warfare and how to thwart its neighbors.
Some lessons that Indian experts have already drawn: India needs lots of artillery, drones and cyberwarfare capabilities.
Comparing Ukraine to India is tricky. Ukraine faces one major enemy — Russia — while India must contend with its old enemy Pakistan to the west, and an increasingly powerful China on its northwest frontier. The Russo-Ukraine war is mostly being fought over an Eastern European landscape of plains and forest, with a moderately good road network suitable for mechanized warfare. India must prepare for combat in a variety of terrain and climate conditions, including desert, jungle and some of the tallest mountains on Earth.
India is also trying to modernize and standardize equipment for its armed forces, which comprise about 1.5 million personnel armed with a potpourri of equipment from several nations, as well as indigenous Indian gear. Until recent years, Russia supplied many weapons such as tanks and jets, but India is increasingly acquiring arms from Western nations, including American howitzers, French jet fighters, and Israeli drones.
The Indian Army's artillery, for example, includes more than 3,000 weapons and multiple rocket launchers, including Russian, American, Swedish and South Korean designs. Indian observers believe Ukraine shows the importance of having plentiful and modern artillery. Artillery has arguably become the decisive combat arm in that war, with Russian firing 10,000 shells per day and advancing, while a munitions shortage has limited Ukraine to around 2,000 shells per day. This deluge of firepower has forced both armies to dig in, and turned the conflict into trench warfare.
"Looking at the demonstration of artillery fire in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, two lessons are available to the Indian Army," wrote Amrita Jash, an assistant professor at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, in a report for the Observer Research Foundation, an Indian think tank. "First, that firepower can be a 'battle-winning factor,' and second, that the time between acquiring the target to shooting has drastically reduced: where it once took five to 10 minutes, it now takes only a minute or two."
Indeed, India already planning to modernize its artillery arsenal, including switching to 155-mm howitzers — the standard NATO caliber — and developing longer-range shells and rockets.
Ukrainian servicemen fire an artillery in the direction of Siversk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on April 01, 2024.
Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images
The air war over Ukraine has proven to be a surprise, especially given Russian superiority in numbers of aircraft and technology. Anti-aircraft missiles have deterred the air forces of both sides from venturing into enemy airspace, with Russian aircraft limited to firing stand-off missiles at Ukrainian cities rather than providing air support for its ground troops. Drones have become the stars and workhorses of the air war, with both sides deploying — and losing — drones in the hundreds of thousands.
There are lessons here for Indian airpower, according to Arjun Subramaniam, a retired Indian Air Force air vice marshal who helped write the ORF report. India must prepare for "gaining control of the air in limited time and space conditions in a short, high-intensity limited conflict as well as in a longer, protracted conflict." The Air Force must also ensure that its plans are synchronized with ground and naval forces. India should also continue to focus on suppressing enemy air defenses, "particularly against an adversary that is more interested in denying rather than controlling the airspace."
Not surprisingly, Subramaniam wants the Indian military to increase drone development and production. But he is also concerned about the possibility of a mass drone attack on India. "Of greater importance is the need to rapidly develop counter-drone capabilities that would be essential in responding to large-scale surprise attacks and retain effective second-strike capabilities," he wrote.
Cyberwarfare has also emerged in Ukraine as a crucial tool in everything from hacking into military computers and critical infrastructure to purveying propaganda and deepfakes in global media. ORF researcher Shimona Mohannoted "the increasing role of largely civilian organizations like big tech in conflict situations and the deepening interplay of civil-military partnerships around dual-use technologies like AI."
Mohan recommends that India invest in cyberwarfare, as other nations are doing. "However, if this is not feasible for socio-political or economic reasons, it should be a priority for countries to ensure that their strategic geopolitical allies are formidable tech powers—for instance in this war, Ukraine received much support from its more tech-savvy partners like the US and private tech companies."
Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds an MA in political science from Rutgers Univ. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.
New York City is one of many areas across the country offering guaranteed basic income to low-income residents.
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Guaranteed basic-income programs can help low-income participants afford necessities like rent.
BI found over 50 municipalities that have tried GBI, offering cash for housing and groceries.
Despite legislative opposition, basic-income programs remain active across the country.
Ingrid Sullivan, 48, used her cash from the San Antonio guaranteed basic-income program to rent a home where her grandchildren can play in the yard. And Monique Gonzalez, 41, moved herself and her family out of a San Antonio motel.
A Denver resident, Jarun Laws, 51, used his basic income to pay his rent and buyfood.
"My life was always just a couple hundred dollars short," Sullivan told Business Insider. "For the first time, I can breathe."
Guaranteed basic income has become an increasingly popular poverty-solution strategy in US cities. Over 50 municipalities have tried the GBI model since 2019, offering low-income participants between $100 and $1,000 a month, no strings attached, for a set time period.
What makes basic income different from traditional social services is the element of choice. Participants told BIthey spent the money where they needed it most: on housing, groceries, transportation, and debt repayment.
Typically, participants fall below the federal poverty line. However, some programs have also focused on specific populations such as new and expecting mothers, households with children, or people experiencing homelessness.
Basic-income pilots have been completed in cities and counties in Arizona, Alabama, Virginia, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Mississippi, Louisiana, Indiana, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, and Washington, DC.
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GBI continues to face legislative opposition from Republican lawmakers who have called the programs "socialist" and say they discourage low-income people from entering the workforce.
For example, Iowa passed a ban on GBI in April, and the Arizona House of Representatives voted to ban basic income in February. On April 23, the Texas Supreme Court placed a temporary block on a Houston-area program that the attorney general called "unconstitutional."
Despite these political challenges, basic-income programs continue to be active across the country. Here's a breakdown of states, listed in alphabetical order, where cash payments are offered to low-income residents.
California
Los Angeles.
LPETTET/Getty
Location: Los Angeles Program name:Breathe Duration: June 2022 – August 2025 Income amount: $1,000 every month for three years Number of participants: 1,000 low-income households
Location: Long Beach Program name:Long Beach Pledge Duration: spring 2024 – spring 2025 Income amount: $500 a month for 12 months Number of participants: 200 low-income households with children
Location: Mountain View Program name:Elevate MV Duration: December 2022 – December 2024 Income amount: $500 a month for 24 months Number of participants: 166 low-income parents
Location: Sonoma County Program name:Pathway to Income Equity Duration: January 2023 – January 2025 Income amount: $500 a month for 24 months Number of participants: 305 low-income families
Previous basic income pilots have been run in San Francisco, Compton, Oakland, Santa Clara, San Diego, Stockton, and Marin County.
Colorado
Denver.
Walter Bibikow / Getty Images
Location: Denver Program name:The Denver Basic Income Project Duration: November 2022 – July 2024 Income amount: Participants were divided into three groups: One receives $1,000 a month for a year; another receives $6,500 up front and then $500 a month from there; and another gets $50 a month. Number of participants: 800 unhoused and low-income households
Georgia
Atlanta.
Sean Pavone / Getty Images
Location: Atlanta, southwest Georgia, and the City of College Park Program name:The Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund Duration: fall 2022 – fall 2024 Income amount: Average payments of $850 a month over 24 months Number of participants: 650 low-income Black women
Illinois
Chicago.
Allan Baxter / Getty Images
Location: Cook County Program name:The Cook County Promise Duration: December 2022 – December 2024 Income amount: $500 a month for 24 months Number of participants: 3,250 low- to moderate-income families
Location: Evanston Program name:Guaranteed Income Program Duration: First round ran December 2022 – December 2023, second round begins summer 2024 Income amount: $500 a month for one year Number of participants: 150 low-income families
Location: Somerville Program name:The Somerville Guaranteed Basic Income Program Duration: July 2024 – July 2025 Income amount: $750 a month for 12 months Number of participants: 200 low-income families
Basic-income programs were previously run in Boston, Chelsea, and Cambridge.
Maryland
Baltimore.
David Shvartsman / Getty Images
Location: Baltimore Program name:The Baltimore Young Families Success Fund Duration: August 2022 – July 2024 Income amount: $1,000 a month for 24 months Number of participants: 200 young parents
Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Barry Winiker/Getty Images
Location: Ann Arbor Program name:Guaranteed Income to Grow Ann Arbor Duration: January 2024 – December 2025 Income amount: $528 a month for 24 months Number of participants: 100 low-income entrepreneurs
Location: Flint Program name:Rx Kids Duration: January 2024 – spring 2025 Income amount: $1,500 lump sum, then $500 monthly payments during the first year of a baby's life Number of participants: 1,200 new and expectant mothers
Minnesota
Minneapolis.
Education Images / Getty Images
Location: Minneapolis Program name:Minneapolis Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Duration: June 2022 – June 2024 Income amount: $500 a month for two years Number of participants: 200 low-income households
A program in St. Paul began in 2020 and provided basic income to families for 18 months.
New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico.
John Elk III / Getty Images
Location: Santa Fe Program name:The City of Santa Fe Learn, Earn, Achieve Program Duration: Initially ran October 2021 – September 2022, extended through the 2023-2024 academic year. Income amount: $400 a month for 12 months Number of participants: 98 young, low-income parents enrolled in a certificate or degree program at the Santa Fe Community College
New York
New York.
Alexander Spatari/Getty Images
Location: New York City, Rochester, and Buffalo Program name:The Bridge Project Duration: June 2021 – ongoing Income amount: Up to $1,000 a month for three years Number of participants: 1,200 low-income mothers
Location: Hudson Program name:HudsonUP Duration: Five years, with staggered cohorts launched in fall 2020, 2021, and 2023 Income amount: $500 a month for 5 years Number of participants: 128 households
A 17-month program in Ulster County that provided basic income to 100 households ended in September 2022, and another program in Ithaca gave a full year of cash payments to unpaid caregivers through May 2023.
Texas
San Antonio.
Adam Jones/Getty Images
Location: San Antonio Program name: UpTogether San Antonio Duration: Summer 2023 – December 2024 Income amount: $500 a month for 18 months Number of participants: 25 low-income families
Location: Harris County Program name:Uplift Harris Duration: Initially scheduled to begin in April 2024, but delayed because of the Texas Supreme Court ruling Income amount: $500 a month for 18 months Number of participants: 1,928 low-income households
An earlier San Antonio program offered $5,108 to 1,000 families over a 25-month period that began in December 2020. The Austin Guaranteed Income Pilot also gave participants $1,000 a month ending in May 2023.
Have you benefited from a guaranteed basic-income program? Are you open to sharing how you spent the money? Reach out to this reporter at allisonkelly@insider.com.
Correction: April 29, 2024 — An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the end date of the Guaranteed Income to Grow Ann Arbor program.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says speaking with brevity is a skill that can help people get ahead in life.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared some advice on how to get ahead in life: be a concise communicator.
The CEO calls the ability to condense five minutes of speech into 30 seconds a "big unlock."
Asking a friend to concisely rephrase your thoughts a "few dozen times" can help hone the skill.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared some words of wisdom on how to get ahead in life: be a concise communicator.
"Learning how to say something in 30 seconds that takes most people 5 minutes is a big unlock," Altman recently wrote on X.
Speaking with brevity, according to the face of ChatGPT, is a "surprisingly learnable skill" that the CEO says can be developed with a simple exercise you can do with a friend who excels at talking.
"If you struggle with this, consider asking a friend who is good at it to listen to you say something and then rephrase it back to you as concisely as they can a few dozen times," Altman said, adding that he's seen this technique work "really well."
learning how to say something in 30 seconds that takes most people 5 minutes is a big unlock
Learning how to articulate one's thoughts is one way workers can advance their communication skills, which some corporate leaders say is crucial to thriving in business. Alongside active listening and summarizing key conversation points, some execs say that knowing how to speak clearly can help professionals get ahead in their careers.
One tech executive at a job search engine previously told Business Insider that strong communication can be linked to job security, a higher chance of moving into a management role, and a knack for building relationships.
Flexing your communication chops can even help you land your next job. It's why billionaire investor Warren Buffett advised college graduates to develop their communication skills during a commencement address. That advice seems to have checked out for some professionals. One JPMorgan employee credited her succinct answers during the interview process for helping her secure her role at the investment bank.
But for one former OpenAI employee, learning to be articulate can lead to more than just a successful career: it can protect your job from AI replacement.
"Focusing on the skills necessary to effectively communicate with humans will future-proof you for a world with AGI," he said.
Sam Altman didn't immediately respond to BI's request for comment when reached through OpenAI.
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The PlayStation 5 with disc drive (left) next to the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition (right).
Business Insider/Best Buy
PS5 digital vs. disc: Pricing and availability
Slim PS5 models are now available to buy at major retailers.
Sony
The slim PS5 with disc drive costs $500, while the slim digital-edition PS5 costs $450. Both slim models are now readily available online and in stores at various retailers. You may also still be able to find old stock of the original, slightly larger PS5 models that launched in 2020, but the slim editions are the only versions that Sony is manufacturing going forward.
You can also find slim PlayStation 5 consoles bundled with popular games like Spider-Man 2 and Call of Duty Modern Warfare III. Disc-drive PS5 bundles are normally priced at $560, but the Spider-Man 2 bundle is often on sale for just $450, which is $50 less than the price of a PS5 without the game. Check out our best PS5 deals roundup for more discounts and promos.
PS5 digital vs. disc: What's different?
The original PlayStation 5 disc-drive and digital-edition models released in 2020 have nearly identical designs and specifications between them, with the only real difference being the absence of a 4K Blu-ray drive on the digital edition. Along with being unable to play games and movies on Blu-ray discs, the original digital-edition PS5 is slightly thinner and weighs about 1.3 lbs less than the original standard version.
The new slim PS5 and slim PS5 Digital Edition consoles released in November 2023 are about 30% smaller than the original models and have larger 1TB solid-state drives. But once again, the most important difference between each slim PS5 is that the digital-edition model does not include a disc drive. However, the slim digital-edition PS5 allows you to add a 4K Blu-ray drive attachment later if you'd like, which is not something you can do on the original PS5 Digital Edition.
Despite these design differences, all versions of the PS5 deliver the same gaming performance. This includes support for gameplay at up to 4K resolution and 120 frames per second on compatible displays, lightning-fast load times thanks to the console's solid-state drive, and advanced graphical features like ray tracing on select games.
Spider-Man gliding through New York in "Marvel's Spider-Man 2."
Marvel/Insomniac Games/Sony
All PlayStation 5 consoles share the same library of games and the same quality of gameplay, but disc-drive PS5 models give you more control over how you play those games.
With a disc-drive PS5, games can be installed from physical discs or via digital downloads. Meanwhile, the digital-edition PS5 limits you to buying and playing downloaded games only.
Digital purchases of PlayStation games are tied to your Sony account. The PlayStation Store is the only place you can buy digital games, so owners of the PS5 Digital Edition can't take advantage of deals at stores like GameStop and Best Buy.
Though digital game downloads are convenient, having physical discs allows you to re-sell your games or lend them to a friend. The PS5 with disc drive can also play old PS4 discs via backward compatibility, while the digital-edition PS5 can only access digital versions of those games through the PlayStation Store.
However, remember that many physical games still require an internet connection and significant PS5 storage space to install and play. This means that going with a disc copy won't save you hard drive space versus downloading the game.
PS5 digital vs. disc: PlayStation Plus
Sony offers a subscription service called PlayStation Plus that provides online multiplayer and a catalog of games to download on the PS5. PlayStation Plus works the same on all PS5 consoles, but digital edition owners might get the most out of the service since certain plans provide easy access to a bunch of PS4 games without the need for a disc drive.
For $10 a month, PlayStation Plus Essential gives gamers access to online play and a monthly selection of free games that will stay in their collection as long as they remain subscribers. The next two tiers of PlayStation Plus, Extra ($15 a month) and Premium ($18 a month), provide access to more than 400 PS4 and PS5 games. Premium also adds even more games from older PlayStation consoles and allows you to stream games directly to a PS5.
PS5 digital vs. disc: Specs
Spec
Slim PS5 with disc drive ($500)
Slim PS5 digital edition ($450)
Launch PS5 with disc drive ($500)
Launch PS5 digital edition ($400)
Disc drive
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
None (disc drive add-on available for $80)
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
None
Storage
1TB M.2 Drive
1TB M.2 Drive
825GB M.2 drive
825GB M.2 drive
HDMI Out
Up to 4K resolution at 120Hz with HDMI 2.1
Up to 4K resolution at 120Hz with HDMI 2.1
Up to 4K resolution at 120Hz with HDMI 2.1
Up to 4K resolution at 120Hz with HDMI 2.1
Ports
2x USB-C, 2x USB 3.1, 1x Ethernet
2x USB-C, 2x USB 3.1, 1x Ethernet
1x USB-C, 3x USB 3.1, 1x Ethernet
1x USB-C, 3x USB 3.1, 1x Ethernet
CPU
AMD Ryzen Zen 2, 8 cores, 16 threads at 3.5 GHz
AMD Ryzen Zen 2, 8 cores, 16 threads at 3.5 GHz
AMD Ryzen Zen 2, 8 cores, 16 threads at 3.5 GHz
AMD Ryzen Zen 2, 8 cores, 16 threads at 3.5 GHz
GPU
AMD Radeon RDNA 2 at 2.23 GHz, 10.3 TFlops
AMD Radeon RDNA 2 at 2.23 GHz, 10.3 TFlops
AMD Radeon RDNA 2 at 2.23 GHz, 10.3 TFlops
AMD Radeon RDNA 2 at 2.23 GHz, 10.3 TFlops
Memory
GDDR6 16GB, 44GB/s bandwidth
GDDR6 16GB, 44GB/s bandwidth
GDDR6 16GB, 44GB/s bandwidth
GDDR6 16GB, 44GB/s bandwidth
The bottom line
All PS5 models come with a DualSense controller.
Isabel Fernandez Pujol/Business Insider
The PlayStation 5 is our pick for the best gaming console you can buy, no matter which edition you purchase. However, we think the disc-drive PS5 offers more value in the long run. It costs an extra $50, but it lets you play old PS4 discs, used copies of games, and borrowed discs from friends, which could save you money over time. It also doubles as a 4K Blu-ray player for movies.
The digital-edition PlayStation 5 is still a great pickup, especially if you want to save money upfront, but it's better for gamers who don't already have a collection of PlayStation discs and don't need the PS5 to be the center of their home entertainment system. However, now that the slim PS5 Digital Edition lets you add a drive, you always have the option to upgrade in the future, albeit for about $30 more than you'd pay if you bought the console with a disc drive to begin with.
Winner: Sony PS5 Slim with disc drive
FAQs
Is the PS5 more powerful than the digital edition?
The PS5 Digital Edition offers the same performance as the PS5 with a disc drive. Other than the disc drive, both models use the same internal hardware.
Does the PS5 with disc drive have more storage than the PS5 Digital Edition?
Both original PlayStation 5 consoles, with or without disc drives, have an 825GB solid-state drive. Meanwhile, both slim PS5 models, with or without disc drives, have a 1TB SSD.
The storage space can be upgraded with an M.2 solid-state drive that meets the PS5's speed requirements. Check out our guide to the best SSDs for PS5 for our top recommendations.
Can you download and play digital games with the PS5 disc version?
The PlayStation Store operates the same way for digital purchases on the standard PS5 as it does on the PS5 Digital Edition. Your Sony account and purchases can also be shared between multiple PlayStation consoles.
Is Sony releasing a PS5 Pro model?
Sony has not officially announced a PS5 Pro model, but reports suggest that a PS5 Pro is in the works and could be launched during the holiday season. Rumors point to improved specifications, including upgraded ray-tracing performance and support for 8K gaming. The PS5 Pro is also expected to include a disc drive.
Tesla's Mexico Gigafactory is taking longer to come online than expected, but building south of the US border is still likely to be a key part of the company's future.
An assembly plant in Mexico, where workers are typically paid less than in the US and which is closer to Tesla's Texas Gigafactory, may offer a cheaper manufacturing hub in North America that can still supply major markets like the US with more inexpensive vehicles.
Efforts like the Mexico Gigafactory are part of a trend toward "nearshoring," described as moving production closer to consumers to reduce costs and logistical complications.
That's especially important as Tesla aims to keep its costs down to protect its profit margins at a time when customers are more price-conscious and more likely to consider hybrids over electric vehicles.
Tesla is starting to feel the heat of a nearly yearlong slowdown in the electric-vehicle market. The company this month reported its lowest quarterly sales since 2022 and its first year-over-year quarterly decline since 2020.
The results reflect the extent to which Elon Musk's plan to slash the prices of his most popular vehicles can work in a changing EV market. Shoppers today are looking for more practical green-car options, gravitating more toward legacy brands and hybrids than pure electric vehicles — the only type of car Tesla sells.
Tesla's 'genius move'
During an investor presentation in March 2023, Tesla announced plans to start manufacturing in Mexico.
At the time, Sandy Munro, an automotive-manufacturing expert, called it a "genius move" and speculated that a long-awaited $25,000 Tesla would be built at the factory. Musk later said the affordable Tesla would first be built in Texas and could move to Mexico in the future.
Despite Musk's reassurance this week that an affordable Tesla is still on the way, he emphasized that it would be built on an existing assembly line, not a new one. That leaves Mexico in an even bigger state of flux without a product or a target opening date.
Musk has been increasingly aloof about plans for the Mexico factory, saying last fall that he wasn't ready to go "full tilt" on a Mexico Gigafactory in a more uncertain economy.
Still, Musk appears to be laying the groundwork for a manufacturing ecosystem in Mexico. Bloomberg reported in February that the automotive CEO had invited some of Tesla's Chinese suppliers of its Shanghai plant to Mexico.
MongoDB CEO Dev Ittycheria suggested that AI still has a long way to go to transform the way we live.
MongoDB
AI may be impressive, but it's not revolutionary yet, MongoDB's CEO said.
Dev Ittycheria said we need to see more integration of AI with practical applications.
AI-powered solutions need to incorporate real-time data into their responses to be the most useful, he added.
At least one executive thinks AI still has a ways to go for it to truly change the way we work and communicate in a big way.
"My life has not been transformed by AI," MongoDB CEO Dev Ittycheria said in an interview with TechCrunch. "Yes, maybe I can write an email better through all those assistants, but it's not fundamentally transformed my life. Whereas the internet has completely transformed my life."
That's not to say that Ittycheria is dismissing the potential of AI to eventually revolutionize the workplace, but the value of any new technology accrues "at the bottom layer first," he told the tech publication.
Ittycheria said that the "real value" of AI will come once existing platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT are fully integrated into more practical, everyday applications. Helping people develop applications — and those built on top of AI models — is MongoDB's "business," he added. The open-source database software firm has its own AI-powered projects in the mix, including its Atlas suite of data services.
AI services will have to incorporate "real-time data" to make them transformative to the average person, Ittycheria said.
"Maybe something's happening in the stock market, maybe it's time to buy or sell, or it's time to hedge," he told TechCrunch. "I think that's where we will start seeing much more sophisticated apps, where you can embed real-time data along with all the reasoning."
The author (right) and her husband riding the tandem bike they just bought to do more things together.
Courtesy of the author
My husband and I have been married for 40 years and had four kids.
He's so hard working, and at one point he had three jobs to make ends meet.
He's about to turn 68 and retire, and is terrified of the future.
Like many boomers, my husband and I have counted the days until retirement. Now that the time is quickly approaching, my husband is suddenly ambivalent about his future.
Since starting his first job when he was only 14, he was socially programmed during the 1970s to embrace the role of a financial provider.
We've been married for 40 years, and I've never known a man with a stronger work ethic than my husband. At times, he worked three jobs simultaneously to make ends meet while we raised four children in a tiny, two-bedroom home.
He's terrified of retiring
Three years ago, when he was eligible for retirement, I was excited at the prospect of checking off our bucket list: buying an RV to travel around the US. But several months before he was to retire, we were hit with unexpected medical bills and major home repairs that drained our savings. My husband insisted on working one more year to get caught up on the bills. I reluctantly agreed, doubling my remote job hours to help pull us out of debt faster.
In July, my husband turns 68 and is still uncertain about leaving his ground maintenance job at an upscale condo. While most boomers are thrilled to leave the rat race and rack up their flying miles, my husband is terrified of leaving his beloved job.
Physical work outdoors is second nature to him, and he worries that he'll become bored, lazy, and overweight without it.
Although he's convinced that his mind and body will deteriorate without his job, I see how the physical labor is taking a toll on him. He lives with chronic back pain and joints that stiffen to the point that he has trouble getting out of bed in the morning.
I tell him it's time to quit, but he's not ready despite having a healthy retirement pension. He has a special connection with his tenants, and the respect they give him fulfills his sense of purpose. For these reasons, he's having trouble understanding what he's physically capable of doing. I also believe it goes deeper than that; he fears losing his identity as the breadwinner in the family.
I'm ready for a more flexible lifestyle
Deprogramming someone conditioned to work full-time was more difficult than I'd anticipated. But recently, I convinced my husband to cut back his hours in exchange for taking the leap and purchasing a small RV. Buying into our bucket list dream is the best decision we could've made for our future and gives us so much to look forward to. We're already taking short trips around the state, and I can see him warming up to the idea of having flexible hours to travel anywhere, anytime.
Even more surprising, my husband bought a yellow tandem bike for us to exercise together. It was tricky initially, but we wobble less now and feel re-energized after taking a few spins around the neighborhood.
After spotting a pickleball match at the park during one of our rides, my husband said he'd like to learn the game. I pointed out that most players were his age (or older) and likely retired — but staying active and engaged in the community.
He's starting to see the opportunities
I'm finally making progress in convincing him to retire. He sees all the fun opportunities to stay fit, travel, and meet new friends —whether on a pickleball court or an RV campsite.
For him, the key is staying busy during retirement and learning to embrace his freedom. He also realizes the importance of maximizing his energy by doing what matters most, simply because we don't know how much time we have left together.
Recently, while riding the tandem bike, my husband said, "We're really getting the hang of this," and I couldn't agree more. With an endless bucket list of possibilities in retirement, we're riding in sync through life, one pedal at a time.
Marcia Kester Doyle is a Yahoo Life Columnist and the author of "Who Stole My Spandex? Life In The Hot Flash Lane." You can find her at http://www.marciakesterdoyle.com
"While Russia may pose the most immediate challenge, China is the bigger long-term threat," CIA director William J. Burns wrote in an op-ed for Foreign Affairs.
Grigory Sysoyev/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Chinese exporters are reportedly going "underground" as domestic banks pullback from transaction business with Russia, Reuters reported.
Many lenders have restricted transactions with Moscow, curbing payment options for Chinese firms.
Alternative channels include money brokers, and the possible use of cryptocurrencies.
Tighter US scrutiny of Beijing's trade ties is sending domestic exporters underground, Reuters exclusively reported on Monday.
Chinese firms involved in the Russian market are reportedly finding alternative ways to facilitate trade with its Northern neighbor, as they no longer can rely on big banks to finance such settlements.
"Transactions between China and Russia will increasingly go through underground channels," a Chinese trade body head told Reuters: "But these methods carry significant risks."
For instance, one unnamed Chinese manufacturer told the outlet that it may have to turn to currency brokers operating on the border with Russia, as they could potentially help settle payments.
The search for alternatives is a direct consequence of Washington's growing concern over trade between the two capitals. China's commercial shipments have been accused of supplying Russia's military industry, spurring US lawmakers to start drafting sanctions against Chinese banks that facilitate this trade.
"I reiterated our serious concern about the PRC providing components that are powering Russia's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said of the People's Republic of China last week.
For exporters, this has also meant a pullback from Russia's market, given the challenges of pursuing business outside of official channels, Reuters said.
For those who try, money brokers are one option. Cryptocurrency could also provide an answer, even though the asset has been banned in China since 2021. But the restriction hasn't stopped China's strained investors from seeking out crypto this year, and could help exporters bypass know-your-customer channels.
While some smaller banks are still open to facilitating business between the countries, its led to months-long queues for those who want to open an account — an issue seen among dealers on both sides of the border.
Lenders in China aren't the only ones rethinking their ties with Russia. Restrictions have also tightened in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and even Austria, all resulting from rising US sanctions rhetoric.
Once ChatGPT hit the scene at the end of 2022, Wall Street ramped up its efforts in AI.
Business Insider has reported on how some of finance's biggest names are approaching the new tech.
See how firms from Goldman Sachs to Blackstone are using it.
Generative AI has had Wall Street abuzz since the introduction of Open AI's ChatGPT in late 2022.
Business Insider has been reporting on how some of finance's biggest players are approaching artificial intelligence, from how it might impact jobs to how to use it to cut costs and ramp up efficiencies. It might even be the sector to end the drought in dealmaking.
Experts in the space are in high demand as banks and investment giants race to understand and implement AI. However, there's a level of trepidation, and most are early in experimenting with different use cases.
Here is what we know about how Wall Street is embracing AI:
Banks accelerated their AI research and use cases due to the rise of ChatGPT
We identified 17 of the top AI executives and technologists to know at the country's biggest banks.
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said banks can win the AI battle against fintech in an earnings call this fall. Dimon laid out his vision for how America's largest bank will win this race through data. Meet the leaders of that mission.
Goldman Sachs' chief information officer and head of machine learning quants say we are at an inflection point with AI. Large language models, the form of AI behind ChatGPT, could transform how Wall Street does business. Marco Argenti and Dimitris Tsementzis outlined three areas where the bank is experimenting with LLMs.
Deutsche Bank is aggressively experimenting with AI capabilities to transform the bank.
The bank is on a hiring spree, trying to more than double its AI employee base of around 300, but uncertainty around regulation, talent wars, and the cost of scaling the tech won't make it easy.
For a look into how America's biggest banks have been thinking about innovating through AI, just take a look at the patents they've filed through the years. Data from consultancy Evident shows how banks are using the tech in everything from trading to UX.
AI is entering the deal room. Investment bankers at nine top firms predict that AI will trigger a wave of M&A and IPOs. Here are 11 bankers poised to lead the AI revolution for Wall Street.
Hedge funds have been on an AI hiring tear as firms look to solidify their teams and strategies
Top AI executives at hedge funds are tasked with setting their companies' AI agendas and ensuring that research and tech development progress is shared across the firm. These execs aren't always responsible for building the technology. For some, their role is influencing—or advocating for — its use among internal stakeholders, like portfolio managers, business leaders, and fund founders.
Bridgewater plans to launch a fund next July that will be driven by AI. The fund's AIA Labs is working to replicate every stage of the investment process with machine learning. The firm's co-chief investment officer and chief scientist outlined the plans of the world's largest hedge fund.
Balyasny Asset Management is in the midst of building the AI equivalent of a senior analyst. Charlie Flanagan, the head of applied AI at the $21 billion hedge fund, broke down his plan to amass a collection of bots to automate grunt work for analysts.
Man Group, the largest publicly listed hedge fund with $161.2 billion in assets under management, launched a new data and machine learning group focused on generative AI in October. Tim Mace, who heads the department, outlined new capabilities his team is developing.
Interviews with 11 AI executives, recruiters, vendors, and consultants working on Wall Street lifted the hood on the cultural challenges hedge funds might face as they use their deep pockets to lure in AI talent. These leaders can struggle to gain the trust of business leaders and break into investment teams, and AI researchers have struggled with hedge funds' penchant for secrecy.
Other asset managers are also trying to figure out how AI can boost their dealmaking and investment skills
As private equity giants place insurance firms at the center of their private-credit businesses, Blackstone is hoping AI will give it a leg up to capture more of the market. Here's how the firm is giving its insurance clients an edge with revved-up risk management capabilities.
Swedish PE giant EQT built an AI engine called Motherbrain that has changed how its investors source deals. ChatGPT enables the investing giant to take the next step with its AI ambitions.
AllianceBernstein has been building a team focused on AI and data science since 2017.
Andrew Chin, AB's head of investment solutions and data science, talked to BI about how the asset manager uses AI to get an edge, save analysts hours of work, and improve risk management.
AI is shaking up the tech talent market on Wall Street, from creating new jobs to changing what it takes to be a coder.
Banks, hedge funds, and private equity firms are switching into hiring gear thanks, in part, to a seemingly insatiable demand for AI. Five recruiters outline the most in-demand tech roles on Wall Street
AI is creating entirely new jobs on Wall Street. Here's one, which has some private equity firms shelling out pay packages of up to $2 million to drum up AI at portfolio companies.
AI is redefining what it takes to be a software engineer on Wall Street. Top tech execs from Goldman Sachs and Citi open up about why they want their developers to have liberal arts degrees.
Business Insider spoke to five industry experts to get their take on how ChatGPT and its underlying tech could be applied to various sectors of financial services.
AI could improve the lives of investment bankers by taking on some tedious tasks, but it can also make it harder to break into and alter the skills required for entry.
As financial firms' AI strategies come into focus, they're hiring more technologists with specialized skills. For those who want to land an AI job on Wall Street, here's everything you need to know about how tech skills and roles are changing.
Startups are looking to capitalize on Wall Street's AI fever.
Wall Street firms know the pains of having to satisfy regulators, but advancements in AI are introducing a whole new level of scrutiny and complexity. Meet this startup, which automates some of the most time-intensive parts of the risk management process.
Louisa AI is a startup built to suggest potential deals for investment bankers and venture capital investors. The fintech, which was born inside Goldman Sachs by a former Goldman managing director, has suggested $800 million in deal values per quarter across a handful of clients.
Wall Street has a reputation for a hard-charging work culture, something that every junior banker learns in their life. Gabe Stengel was one such banker, sometimes staying up until 5 a.m. to create earnings summaries or to pull together presentations for superiors while at Lazard. Stengel knew there had to be a better way.