Alana Semuels

Alana Semuels is an economic correspondent at TIME. She covers work, consumer spending, retail, gender, and technology. She is a four-time nominee for the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism, and has won awards from the Society of Business Editors and Writers and the Los Angeles Press Club.

Recent Articles

Cell Phone Reception Is Getting Worse

You aren't crazy—your cell phone service is probably getting worse. Here's why

By Alana Semuels

Meet the Solar Sales Bros

Social media and the promise of profits has fueled an army of young men to go out and spread misinformation in the residential solar industry.

By Alana Semuels

Why Black Friday Deals Start So Early

Retailers like Walmart and Target are rolling out Black Friday deals earlier than ever, thanks to inflation and a slugging spending economy.

By Alana Semuels

Why It's Hard to Break Up With Utilities

A referendum in Maine would have gotten rid of two maligned for-profit utilities. Why did it lose?

By Alana Semuels

How Corporations Shift Profits to Avoid Taxes

Two years after a global minimum tax was passed, a new report suggests that companies are finding new ways to avoid taxation.

By Alana Semuels

Go Midwest, Young Man

People sick of forest fires, floods, and extreme heat are fleeing the Sun Belt and heading to cities like Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Detroit.

By Alana Semuels

Rooftop Solar Power Has a Dark Side

The companies that own many leased solar systems on Americans' rooftops are going out of business.

By Alana Semuels

The Trucking Bubble Has Burst

The trucking industry boomed during the pandemic, luring new drivers. Now, in some cases, those drivers are fighting debt and homelessness.

By Alana Semuels

Job Sharing Is a Solution to Burnout

Some companies are allowing workers to split jobs 50-50 to recruit and retain women.

By Alana Semuels

The Consequences of Shopping at Walmart

A vocal group of small businesses is urging the FTC to enforce a 1936 law that it says would even the grocery playing field.

By Alana Semuels

AI Is Flooding the Web With Junk Content

An urgent care clinic appears to be using AI to generate millions of nonsensical posts to boost its Google results.

By Alana Semuels

Trouble for Full-Time In-Office Companies

Remote work is winning: new data show that companies offering flexible remote work are hiring more new employees than those demanding in-office work.

By Alana Semuels

Maine Has the Lithium America Needs, But Won't Allow Mining

Gem hunters in Maine found one of the richest lithium deposits in the U.S. State laws mean they can't mine it.

By Alana Semuels and Kate Cough / Maine Monitor

A Top Shein Exec on That Influencer Trip Fiasco

Shein executive vice chairman Donald Tang on what the company learned from the influencer trip fallout

By Alana Semuels

Why Chocolate Prices May Soon Skyrocket

The price of cocoa is rising while the costs of other food commodities has stabilized after inflation. Blame Russia—and climate change.

By Alana Semuels

Now’s The Time to Bring Up Menopause At Work

Companies are beginning to expand health benefits to cover menopause as Millennials start to enter perimenopause.

By Alana Semuels

Why Job Hunting is Getting Worse

Companies are putting up more hurdles for prospective candidates, lengthening the process.

By Alana Semuels

Why Americans Want Part-Time Jobs Again

The pandemic made workers reevaluate their priorities; the strong labor market gives them the power to ask for better schedules.

By Alana Semuels

Why Gas Prices Are Cheaper Right Now

Overall, demand is lower says one expert. And if EV sales continue, that could continue to help drive down the cost of gas.

By Alana Semuels

New Offices for Hybrid Work Look Like This

The pandemic is over, but return to office mandates have largely failed. Companies are planning for the new future.

By Alana Semuels
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