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Hi, today we explore: (1) The decline of unions in America, (2) Why Meta's new experiment is going to be hard and (3) The corn export kings. TOGETHER WITH Today's Topics Hello! Off the back of Barbenheimer, Denzel Washington’s The Equalizer 3 rounded out the first $4 billion summer box office since the pandemic — and delivered the second best [Labor Day weekend]( debut ever, amassing an estimated $42m in just 4 days. Today we explore: - Labor days: Unions don't have the numbers they used to. - Paid social: Meta could be trying a new business model in Europe. - Out-husked: Brazil is the new corn capital of the world. Have feedback for us? Just hit reply — we'd love to hear from you! [Read this on the web instead]( Fruits of labor Whether you were enjoying the sunshine at a parade, cooling down by the beach or pool, or just scoring some bargains in the sales, we hope you had an [uplifting]( Labor Day weekend. With so many celebrations, it's easy to forget the origin of the day as a national recognition of the achievements of American workers. More than 140 years ago, some 10,000 workers participated in the first parade, organized in New York City by the Central Labor Union, before the day was officially made a federal holiday in 1894 by President [Grover Cleveland](. Although the role of labor unions has diminished dramatically in America — with just ~6% of private workers currently in a union — this year, organized labor movements in the US have been making waves. High-profile negotiations at [UPS]( [Starbucks]( within the [automotive industry]( [US Steel]( and the ongoing strikes in Hollywood have thrust unions into the spotlight. With the unemployment rate at or near multi-decade lows, and labor shortages in some key sectors, the relative bargaining power has, at least slightly, shifted back towards employees. Interestingly, a recent [Gallup poll]( found that, although the public approval rating of labor unions has slightly dropped, at 67% compared to 71% last year, overall support remains near a 50-year high. Paid social Meta is considering introducing paid versions of Facebook and Instagram for [European users]( giving them access to endless ad-free scrolling. The move is largely in response to the bloc’s increasingly stringent policies on data collection, which has limited the company's ability to deliver targeted advertisements in the region — you know, the slightly creepy ones that crop up on your feed with the exact thing you were browsing for the other day. A paid subscription tier would be a huge departure from Meta’s hyper-efficient core business — a $110bn+ advertising monolith that's leaps ahead of its rivals in extracting value from users. Despite being a free service, Facebook alone rakes in nearly $18 every single month for each one of its US & Canadian users — substantially more than the $10-15 a month you might pay for services like Netflix, Spotify or Amazon Prime. Adios and adieu, ads If it is somewhat forced to experiment with a new business model, Europe is arguably the safest place for Meta to try one. At just over 400 million monthly active users, the region is substantially smaller than Facebook’s Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World user bases, of 1.35 billion and 1 billion, respectively. Furthermore, European users are far less lucrative than their American counterparts, contributing on average around one-third of what a typical American user adds to Facebook's revenue. Convincing those European users to part ways with ~$6 a month to look at memes, vacation pictures and news headlines might be a tough ask though, even for the masters of monetization at Meta. [Sponsored by Babbel]( Back-to-school looks different with Babbel Ninth grade Spanish starting to feel a little rusty? Brush up your language skills for the back-to-school season by learning with Babbel. [Babbel’s learning methodology]( was developed by 150 expert linguists and is designed to help you have real-world conversations. In fact, Babbel users have reported having basic conversations after just 3 weeks of daily practice. How does it work? [Babbel]( teaches 10-minute bite-sized lessons supplemented with podcasts, videos, articles and live lessons with some of the best teachers in the industry. Get started with [60% off a Babbel]( while their Labor Day sale lasts. If you’re not convinced after 20 days you can get a full refund — but with 10M+ users relying on [Babbel]( to learn 14 different languages, you might end up sticking around. [Get learning with 60% off Babbel for Labor Day]( Shucks The US — once the corn capital of the world, accounting for nearly 70% of global exports of the golden crop — could be about to spend its second consecutive year as runner-up. Brazil is once again set to top the US as the world's largest corn exporter, according to forecasts from [the USDA](. Bloomberg reported that the 2023 harvest year was the only period since [records began]( where the US did not hold the top spot, save for a nationwide drought in 2013, with the trend set to continue into the 2024 season that started on Friday. Popping off Brazil, meanwhile, has been breaking corn exporting records this year, thanks to logistical breakthroughs, a bountiful harvest, and more money being pumped into unclogging shipment routes in the north of the [South American nation](. The Brazilian supply has been instrumental in filling in market gaps left by the war in Ukraine and tensions between China and the US, with the country’s share of global exports soaring in recent years. In 2003, Brazil was responsible for 6% of world corn exports, with the country's industry being massively out-husked by the US. But, things have shifted rapidly in the intervening years, with the South American nation capturing 32% of the global export share in the 2023 season. More Data • More than 70,000 attendees of Burning Man festival are [still stuck in Nevada's remote Black Rock Desert]( after a rainstorm swamped the area — although roads might reopen today. • Developed by 150 expert linguists, [Babbel]( 10-minute bite-sized lessons are helping over 10M people learn a new language. You can get in the back-to-school spirit with [60% off Babbel]( for their limited-time Labor Day offer.** • Pay-OF: Leonid Radvinsky, the Ukrainian-American owner of OnlyFans received over $338m in dividends last year, more than $1 million for each [working day](. • Go down the cyber rabbit hole and explore the 50 [weirdest corners]( of the Internet (including, but not limited to: a fish doorbell, historic sandwiches, and an account of Japanese mascots). • America great (again): A Pew Research poll found that the majority (72%) of Americans think the US is the greatest or one of the [greatest countries]( in the world — although this figure has fallen 7% since 2019. **This is sponsored content. Real-estate investing is often a zero-sum game — so [Roots]( came up with a better way. As the only REIT that creates wealth for investors and renters, Roots’ fund is growing year over year (36% since its launch in July 2021). [Start investing with $100]( in as little as 5 minutes.** Hi-Viz • Visualizing the hundreds of wildfires that ravaged [Greece]( this summer. • While a reported 43% of Americans have a passport, this [poll]( breaks down how this figure changes if you’re under 30 or went to college. Thanks for reading. See you on Wednesday. Have some [feedback](mailto:daily@chartr.co?subject=Feedback&body=Hi%2C%0A%0AI%20like%20the%20newsletters%2C%20but%20I%20had%20a%20thought%20for%20you...) or want to [sponsor]( this newsletter? Not a subscriber? Sign up for free below. [Subscribe]( Copyright © 2023 CHARTR LIMITED, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: CHARTR LIMITED Kemp House 152 - 160 City RoadLondon, EC1V 2NX United Kingdom [Add us to your address book]( Don't want charts in your inbox anymore? Break our hearts and [unsubscribe](.