Ray A. Smith

@rayalexsmith

Careers and lifestyle reporter at The Wall Street Journal. You can also find me on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-smith-61a6262/

Wall Street Journal - NYC

Joined March 2009

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6KFollowers

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Ray A. Smith@rayalexsmith · Jun 17

For more of us, the workday is bleeding into the work evening. Many workers say the intensity is rising as companies slow hiring, trim costs and add more tasks to existing roles. wsj.com/lifestyle/work… via @WSJ

rayalexsmith's tweet card. Employees’ days are bleeding into the evening, new data show—thanks to a growing load of meetings, emails and, yes, actual work.

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Ray A. Smith@rayalexsmith · Jul 21

Businesses and consumers are regaining their swagger, and evidence is mounting that those who held back are starting to splurge again. wsj.com/economy/the-u-… via @WSJ

rayalexsmith's tweet card. Consumers are spending again after the spring’s tariff chill. But some expect growth to be slow.

Ray A. Smith@rayalexsmith · Jul 20

Schadenfreude played no small part in turning a video of two Astronomer executives caught in a romantic moment at a Coldplay concert into an online obsession. wsj.com/lifestyle/work… via @WSJ

rayalexsmith's tweet card. Schadenfreude played no small part in turning a video of two Astronomer executives caught in a romantic moment into an online obsession.

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The Wall Street Journal@WSJ · Jul 20

E.l.f. Beauty CEO Tarang Amin is hard at work trying to crack the code on something very elusive: Gen Z shoppers and employees on.wsj.com/4m1l2vs

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WSJ Business News@WSJbusiness · Jul 18

How the CEO of e.l.f. Beauty figured out Gen Z and won over Hailey Bieber on.wsj.com/4m3Gb8t

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The Wall Street Journal@WSJ · Jul 20

Schadenfreude helped turn a video of two tech executives caught in a romantic moment into an online obsession on.wsj.com/3GUNKzg

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Ray A. Smith@rayalexsmith · Jul 19

RIP. Alan Bergman. Half of a Prolific Lyric-Writing Team, Dies at 99. They wrote some of the most beautifully poignant love songs.... nytimes.com/2025/07/18/art…

rayalexsmith's tweet card. With his wife, Marilyn, he wrote the words to memorable TV theme songs and the Oscar-winning “The Way We Were” and “The Windmills of Your Mind.”

Ray A. Smith@rayalexsmith · Jul 19

How the CEO of @elfcosmetics figured out Gen Z and won over Hailey Bieber - Tarang Amin is rallying staff in their 20s and 30s to grow a beauty brand that’s a hit with teens wsj.com/business/elf-c… via @WSJ

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The Wall Street Journal@WSJ · Jul 19

Astronomer does work in data integration and management for companies like Apple and Ford. You probably haven’t heard of them until now. 🔗 on.wsj.com/4eXc0xt

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The Wall Street Journal@WSJ · Jul 19

Memo to job-hunting college grads: It pays to take your search to cities just beyond America’s biggest metro areas. 🔗: on.wsj.com/44TFYxv

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The Wall Street Journal@WSJ · Jul 19

De Beers’s chief executive wants to save a generation of lovers and newlyweds from what he calls a “huge con” when it comes to buying diamonds—and in the process rescue his iconic brand from an ominous decline. 🔗 on.wsj.com/40XGwkM

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Ray A. Smith@rayalexsmith · Jul 19

President Trump filed a lawsuit against the publisher of The Wall Street Journal, alleging the newspaper defamed him in an article about a birthday letter sent to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein wsj.com/business/media… via @WSJ

rayalexsmith's tweet card. Defamation lawsuit was filed in a Florida federal court.

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Ray A. Smith@rayalexsmith · Jul 18

CBS is pulling the plug on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”—and on the entire late-night franchise wsj.com/business/media… via @WSJ

rayalexsmith's tweet card. “This is all just going away,” host Stephen Colbert said while taping his Thursday show.

Ray A. Smith@rayalexsmith · Jul 18

For Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday, friends created a book of bawdy letters. One was from Donald Trump. He told the Journal he was preparing to file a lawsuit if it published an article. wsj.com/politics/trump… via @WSJ

rayalexsmith's tweet card. The leather-bound book was compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell. The president says the letter ‘is a fake thing.’

Ray A. Smith@rayalexsmith · Jul 18

The U.S. cities offering the best hiring prospects for young grads might surprise you. Turns out it pays to take the job search to cities just beyond America’s biggest metro areas. wsj.com/lifestyle/care… via @WSJ

rayalexsmith's tweet card. Many younger professionals are finding luck launching careers in second-tier cities like Raleigh, Milwaukee and Birmingham, a new analysis shows.

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Gypsy on Broadway@gypsybway · Jul 17

GYPSY will play its final Broadway performance on August 17, 2025. Only 4 more weeks to see “The greatest Broadway musical of all time” (@nytimes).

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The Wall Street Journal@WSJ · Jul 14

America’s return to the office is unfolding unevenly for men and women on.wsj.com/3GLb2aH

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The Wall Street Journal@WSJ · Jul 12

Take a look at the front page of today's Wall Street Journal. on.wsj.com/456t5AD

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The Wall Street Journal@WSJ · Jul 12

American households that make $250,000 or more are typically within the top 10% of earners. Some of them don’t feel wealthy. So we took to the streets of New York to ask what salary would make people feel rich. Read more: on.wsj.com/4eJYA7P

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Ray A. Smith@rayalexsmith · Jul 11

Justin Bieber’s new surprise album is full of surprises like the bossa nova moment at the end of this track open.spotify.com/track/3xytfOwk… #JustinBieber

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The Wall Street Journal@WSJ · Jul 11

With the release of “Swag,” Justin Bieber’s fans and the music industry are rooting for him—and a song of summer on.wsj.com/4liPz88

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