All Economy
For those with disabilities, shift to remote work has opened doors (video)The COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges, but disability advocates are welcoming one societal shift that has huge benefits for many with accessibility needs: the ability to work from home.聽
First LookGoldman Sachs unit pleads guilty in Malaysian corruption scandalGoldman Sachs Malaysia will pay more than $2.9 billion in penalties related to corruption charges in the 1MDB Malaysian sovereign wealth fund scandal, admitting it 鈥渒nowingly and willfully鈥� conspired to violate U.S. anti-bribery laws.
First LookThe pandemic shrank the economy. Whose prospects are looking up?The global economy is expected to contract drastically this year because of the pandemic 鈥� the biggest shrink since the Great Depression. Still, the 2021 forecast has bright spots, with the United States showing more growth than last year and China on the rebound.
In the Trump economy, echoes of Hoover and Carter?President Trump and Congress remain at loggerheads over delivering new pandemic relief for Americans. How鈥檚 the rest of the 鈥淭rump economy鈥�?
First LookIn the work-from-home era, who pays for coffee and toilet paper?Working remotely requires a desk, chair, internet, and electricity 鈥� and that doesn鈥檛 count creature comforts supplied at the office. Some countries are exploring whether employers should cover these 鈥渟tructural, ongoing costs of working from home.鈥�
First LookLong-term unemployment could complicate US economic recoveryThe economic hardship caused by COVID-19 has spread unevenly, hitting dining, music, and education hardest. But by some measures, the U.S. economic recovery overall is moving quickly.
Rising from pandemic, the business success stories of tomorrow?After a plunge in March, the number of business applications by firms that are likely to hire employees is 12% ahead of last year鈥檚 pace.
First LookAs demand outstrips US toilet paper supply, imports roll inToilet paper is often not worth the cost of importing. But American manufacturers won't catch up to demands for another three to five months, leaving merchants, and consumers, to depend on foreign brands that aren't as ... fluffy.
First LookAmid pandemic, entrepreneurs find ways to overcome downturnThe pandemic has forced a lot of new business owners to rethink their strategies. A recession might seem like the worst time to start a new business, but enterprising Americans are taking the plunge.
Is the economy running fast or slow? It depends where you look.Prospects for new coronavirus relief faded this week in Congress. That鈥檚 tough at a time when some firms are hiring but many are far from recovered.
Gold is up. Dollar is down. Is inflation back on the worry list?In a shift, the Federal Reserve envisions overshooting its target of 2% annual inflation more often 鈥撀爓hich some critics see as a slippery slope.
Monitor BreakfastConvenience or dystopia? Work-from-home blend is here to stay.Before the pandemic, 15% of U.S. workers did their jobs at home part or full time. By April, nearly half were exclusively at home, one study found.
FocusYoung workers hit hardest in global downturn. What鈥檚 the answer?In Sweden and Colombia, the jobless rate is about 30%. In Germany, with a strong tradition of building school-to-work pipelines, it's below 6%.
First LookDespite new safety protocols, airlines struggle to lift-offAirlines global sales down 85% compared to this time last year. The big companies will survive with government help and independent loans, but surveys suggest people聽are growing more skeptical about air travel.
For working women, a recession like no otherUnlike past recessions, in which men bore the brunt of layoffs, the coronavirus recession has disproportionately affected women.
For New England lobstermen, resilience in 鈥榓 season of uncertainty鈥�In Maine and Cape Cod, the pandemic has thrown the livelihoods of lobstermen into a precarious position, forcing them to get creative.
First LookIn a pandemic first, US jobless claims fall below 1 millionLayoffs are slowing, but unemployment remains high. The expiration of the聽$600-a-week federal benefit threatens to weaken聽consumer spending and reduce Americans' weekly incomes by $18 billion.
First LookAs relief bill talks stall, Americans ask: Can I pay the rent?Americans on unemployment can longer count on the extra $600 weekly federal checks. Some hope Congress will pass a new relief bill, but talks have stalled in the Senate.
The other people facing housing woes amid pandemic: Mom and pop landlordsMany landlords understand聽tenants鈥� needs during this time, but they also have to meet their own financial obligations.
First LookUS economy takes record-breaking GDP plunge as virus cases surgeThe government鈥檚 estimated聽32.9% annual rate drop in聽GDP last quarter聽has no comparison since records began in 1947. Analysts expect a rebound for the current July-September period, but with rising virus cases in some state, some companies are delaying hiring decisions.
