Jun 20 Watch 8:03 Why minority-owned businesses are struggling to get PPP loans By Ivette Feliciano, Connie Kargbo The Paycheck Protection Program or PPP provides federally-backed forgivable loans to businesses whose revenues may be impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. According to the Center for Responsible Lending, little of the $659 billion fund has made it to Latino and… Continue watching
Jun 19 Hiring rose in 46 states in May, yet jobless rates remain high By Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press Employers added jobs in 46 states last month, evidence that the U.S. economy’s surprise hiring gain in May was spread broadly across the country — in both states that began reopening their economies early and those that did so only… Continue reading
Jun 18 Watch 8:10 State reopening plans force trade-offs between health and economy By Paul Solman The staggering number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits underscores just how many are struggling financially due to the pandemic. While the economic damage from shuttering businesses and staying home is undeniable, public health experts worry that the pressure to reopen… Continue watching
Jun 11 Watch 5:06 What the latest jobs numbers say about a U.S. economic recovery The number of weekly jobless claims is the lowest since the economic shutdown began in March, but it remains far above what the U.S. has experienced during other financial crises. Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, said earlier this… Continue watching
Jun 11 Watch 7:00 How Americans’ drinking habits have changed during the pandemic By William Brangham, Leah Nagy Stay-at-home orders posed a special challenge to Americans who struggle with addiction and rely on the support of in-person recovery meetings. Many others found their alcohol consumption patterns changed significantly during the pandemic. William Brangham reports on the impact COVID-19… Continue watching
Jun 11 Unemployment woes a mounting strain on Trump in Florida By Bobby Caina Calvan, Associated Press With the November election just five months away, Florida’s troubled unemployment system could create problems for Republicans trying to again secure the state for President Donald Trump. Continue reading
Jun 07 Watch 3:34 Once homeless, a new college graduate looks to the future By Zachary Green When we last spoke with Jaime Waldron earlier in April, she was a homeless college student worried about completing her online studies before graduation. Now, Waldron has officially graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in criminal justice. Continue watching
Jun 06 Watch 2:07 The May jobs report ‘misclassification error’ explained By PBS NewsHour New numbers from the U.S. Labor Department Friday surprised economists when the jobless rate dropped from 14.7 percent in April to 13.3 percent in May. But there was a note on the official report called a “misclassification error” that makes… Continue watching
Jun 06 New jobs report diminishes GOP appetite for more virus aid By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press Republicans say the numbers vindicate their decision to take a pause and assess the almost $3 trillion in assistance they already have approved. The White House was already showing little urgency about pursing another trillion-dollar response bill, much less the… Continue reading
Jun 05 Watch 9:09 Do May jobs numbers indicate economic recovery has begun? Jobs numbers from May were unexpectedly strong, catching most economists by surprise. But the Trump administration was quick to hail them as early indications of an economic recovery already underway. How do others interpret the new data -- and what… Continue watching