All Economy
First LookCashless kids: Banks prepare for a new generation of spendersBanks have offered child savings accounts for years. But as e-commerce grows, banks and startups are trying to capture the youth market with apps and debit cards for kids. Parents say it gives them greater oversight and opportunities to teach money management.
First LookAmerica First? China leads Asia into biggest free-trade deal.China and 14 other countries agreed Sunday to set up the world鈥檚 largest free-trade bloc, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership or RCEP.
First LookThe world is changing. Will central banks change, too?Global economic priorities and norms are shifting as climate change and social issues 鈥� exacerbated by a pandemic 鈥� change consumer habits. Central banks are rethinking their roles as they ponder why monetary policy is not working the way it once did.
First LookFlorida, a Trump stronghold, also voted to increase minimum wageFlorida voters handed the state's 29 Electoral College votes to President Donald Trump on Election Day. They also voted in favor of raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2026, which Republicans and business interests had heavily opposed.
Corporations pledge to fight racial inequality. Will it work?If the U.S. could close racial gaps in areas such as wages and college access, the economy would add $5 trillion of economic activity,聽Citibank says.聽
First LookHas Thanksgiving lost its gobble? Farmers face small gatherings.Thanksgiving Day usually includes large, indoor group events with plenty of older relatives. But this year things are almost certainly going to be different. For turkey farmers and grocers, it's hard to predict what customers will want to dish up.
Why Midwest farmers are sticking with TrumpFarmers in battleground Midwest states remain staunch supporters of President Trump, who has provided federal aid to offset losses in farm exports.聽
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%.