Sentence Edit of the Day

Editorial work is making sure the writer says what she or he means to say.

Here's a story lede that struck me as possibly incorrect when I read it:

Since the recession began in December 2007, more than half of Americans have become unemployed, taken a pay cut, suffered a reduction in hours or had to take a temporary job because they couldn't find a full-time position, according to the Pew Research Center's Social and Demographic Trends Project.

I did some quick research, and came up with the correct sentence:

Since the recession began in December 2007, more than half of all American workers have become unemployed, taken a pay cut, suffered a reduction in hours, or had to take a temporary job because they couldn't find a full-time position, according to the Pew Research Center's Social and Demographic Trends Project.

What a difference a word makes.

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