Making Sen$e May 21 How the pandemic has pushed U.S. retail toward the brink of collapse For more than two months, the toll of unemployment in the U.S. has grown each week. The retail sector, which was already struggling before the pandemic, is among the hardest hit, with stores closed or at reduced capacity and consumers…
Making Sen$e May 14 What’s the key to U.S. economic recovery? Testing, says this Nobel Prize winner As millions more Americans file for unemployment amid an economy crippled by COVID-19, many states are lifting restrictions and reopening businesses. But is that the correct approach to reviving the U.S. economy? Paul Solman talks to Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul…
Making Sen$e May 07 For many Americans, health coverage is tied to a job — and now they have neither Consequences of the unemployment driven by the novel coronavirus pandemic will reverberate through the U.S. economy for months, if not years. One result: as millions of Americans lose their jobs, they are also losing their health care coverage -- and…
Making Sen$e Apr 30 More Americans are going hungry amid economic crisis — and many can’t get help The current economic crisis means rising demand for food stamps. While Congress has passed additional benefits for some recipients, a large percentage of the poorest households did not get an increase. Meanwhile, many people, from college students now at home…
Making Sen$e Apr 23 Why the pandemic is making U.S. economic inequality even worse A new survey by the Pew Research Center finds 43 percent of U.S. adults say they or someone in their household has suffered a job loss or pay cut due to COVID-19. With such widespread impact, it will likely take…
Making Sen$e Apr 16 Evaporation of travel sector threatens airlines’ very survival One of the business sectors hit hardest by the novel coronavirus pandemic has been air travel. Passenger volume is down a stunning 96 percent in the U.S., while airline losses have topped $300 billion worldwide. Despite canceled flights, travelers are…
Making Sen$e Apr 09 How missed rent payments spark a ‘cascade’ of financial hardship Many Americans affected by the coronavirus pandemic are struggling to pay their rent when they have lost income and haven’t yet been able to secure unemployment money. Missed rent, in turn, adds up to landlords who can’t pay their mortgages…
Making Sen$e Apr 02 Will these shuttered restaurants be able to reopen after pandemic? A sector of the economy that is being hit especially hard amid the coronavirus pandemic is the restaurant industry. In normal times, Americans were spending roughly as much money on dining out as they were at grocery stores. With restaurants…
Economy Mar 30 As more people order delivery, workers fear virus exposure More than 250 million Americans in 30 states have been asked or ordered to stay at home. Although some still buy essentials in person at stores, many are ordering online instead. As a result, warehouse and delivery workers and professional…
Nation Mar 24 2 views on balancing medical risk and economic pain The tragedies we see playing out in Italy and around the world are why most public health officials say it’s far too soon to plan when people can return to work. But President Trump says he wants to see much…