NYT > Michael Luo

Michael Luo is a national correspondent based in New York who writes stories from around the country on economics and the recession. He has been a reporter for The New York Times since 2003, and previously covered the 2008 presidential campaign. He has also covered Congress, religion and transportation, and has worked in the Baghdad bureau, and on investigative projects. Before joining The Times, Mr. Luo was a national writer at the Associated Press, where he wrote narrative feature stories from around the country. He has also worked at Newsday and The Los Angeles Times. In 2002, he won a George Polk Award for criminal justice reporting and a Livingston Award for Young Journalists for a series of articles on three poor, mentally retarded African-Americans in Alabama who were in prison for killing a baby that probably never existed. As a result of the series, two of the prisoners were freed; the third remained in prison on a separate charge. Mr. Luo graduated in 1998 from Harvard University, where he majored in government. He lives in Manhattan.

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For Workers at Closing Plant, Ordeal Included Heart Attacks

Feb 24, 2010 9:00pm

The first to have a heart attack was George Kull Jr., 56, a millwright who worked for three decades at the steel mills in Lackawanna, N.Y. Three weeks after learning that his plant was closing, he suddenly collapsed at home. Less than two hours later, he was pronounced dead....

At Closing Plant, Ordeal Included Heart Attacks

Feb 23, 2010 9:00pm

A growing body of research suggests job loss can have profound health consequences for workers....

Jobless Turn to Family for Help

Jan 29, 2010 9:00pm

When unemployment leads to borrowing from family and friends, the experience can be stressful....

Struggling, and Seeking Hope in President’s Words

Jan 27, 2010 9:00pm

Don and Sheyenne Kreamer, who have to move from their foreclosed home by Sunday, stopped packing to watch the State of the Union speech....

Economists See a Lift in 2010 Census

Dec 18, 2009 9:00pm

Next year’s census will not only count people, it will also put money in millions of pockets and potentially create a well-timed economic spark....

For Many, Uncertainty, Fear and Shame Often Follow Pink Slips

Dec 14, 2009 9:00pm

From Allotting Help to Seeking It Out In the last year, Evan Gutierrez, 29, has gone from administering a church's good-will fund to applying to one so his family could pay the rent as he continued to look for work....

For Many, Uncertainty, Fear and Shame Often Follow Pink Slips

Dec 14, 2009 9:00pm

Three unemployed Americans tell their stories of uncertainty, the end of unemployment benefits and having no one to which to turn....

For Many, Uncertainty, Fear and Shame Often Follow Pink Slips: 'Slow the Bleeding' By Lowering Sights

Dec 14, 2009 9:00pm

Lee Daves, 54, is coming to the end of his unemployment benefits and is not sure what he will do next. ''I'm going to find something soon,'' he said. ''I have to. It may not be what I want. If I have to wash dishes, that's what I'll do. Hopefully...

Poll Reveals Trauma of Joblessness in U.S.

Dec 14, 2009 9:00pm

Unemployment has caused major life changes and mental health issues for millions of Americans, a New York Times/CBS News poll found....

For Many, Uncertainty, Fear and Shame Often Follow Pink Slips: Safety Net Thins As Search Persists

Dec 14, 2009 9:00pm

Debra Winchell, 50, is single with no siblings, and her mother lives in an apartment complex for the elderly. The combination leaves her feeling especially vulnerable as her quest for work persists. ''I have no place to go if things fall through,'' she said....

'Whitening' the Résumé

Dec 5, 2009 9:00pm

Tahani Tompkins was struggling to get callbacks for job interviews in the Chicago area this year when a friend made a suggestion: Change your name. Instead of Tahani, a distinctively African-American-sounding name, she began going by T. S. Tompkins in applications. Yvonne Orr, also searching for work in Chicago, removed...