Marketplace

More than 40 million Americans have filed for unemployment insurance since mid-March. Many of them told the Labor Department that they considered their layoffs “temporary,” that they’d been furloughed and would be back at work at some point. But “some point” seems to be dragging on, and coming back from layoffs might not happen at all for some. Today, we do the numbers. Plus: tourism, bar reopenings and problems in the supply chain.

Another 2.1 million Americans filed for unemployment insurance this week. About 55% of the people who lost their jobs last month are women, which is a contrast from the last financial crisis. Today, we’ll look at the dynamics playing out now and why benefits have been historically hard for people to get. Plus: life on the farm and on the reservation.

Most colleges in the U.S. have been shut down for months in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. But NYU’s campus in Shanghai could provide an example of how to reopen mid-pandemic. Today, we take you there. Plus: the PPP extension, a literal economic slowdown and how breweries are adapting to social distancing.

Some companies have been experimenting with the four-day workweek to improve productivity and morale. Will the coronavirus pandemic finally push more workplaces to make the switch? Plus: what it’s like to quarantine in an RV, and will Q3 be the “fastest-growing quarter in U.S. history”?

States — and counties within those states — are reopening at different stages with different rules and guidelines. Business owners are navigating the uncertainty around those rules as they try to determine which apply to their businesses. A bar owner in Boise, Idaho, thought she might be able to reopen, but realized her bar doesn’t serve enough food to meet the state requirement. Plus: a program in California focused on housing the homeless during the pandemic, high school seniors are facing...

It’s been about two months since Congress passed the big coronavirus relief bill, and 10 weeks since President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency. We’ll talk with some of our contributors and historians about the state of the economy and the historical context. Plus: China abandons GDP targets, Americans settle into working from home for the long haul and we chat with the president of the New York Stock Exchange.

Another 2.4 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week. That’s down from the week before, but still about the population of Houston. There are two ways the government measures joblessness in this country, and it’s important to keep an eye on both. We’ll explain. Plus: how emerging markets are faring in this crisis, why evictions could surge in Texas and a conversation with the CEO of the travel company Booking Holdings. By the way, this is the last day of our last fundraising...

Restaurants, already operating on thin margins, have to balance keeping customers safe and making them feel safe, while trying to restore some normalcy. Today, we look at how one Atlanta Vietnamese spot is doing it. Plus: How Americans spent their relief checks, the coming wave of farm bankruptcies and the fight over hazard pay.

Today we’re going to dig into some ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. While companies are looking for breaks from their rent, Home Depot says sales are up, and animation is about the only entertainment production still working. Plus: How remote work in oil and gas … works.

We asked the CEO of digital education company Chegg. Plus, we’ll dig into the auto supply chain, examine how banking has changed and get a preview of the new season of “The Uncertain Hour.”

…Now they might dip into those funds. Today on the show, we’ll look at the long-term effects of this economic crisis. Plus: new retail sales numbers, travel in a reopened China and the Americans staying away from hospitals even when they need care.

As colleges and universities across the country plan virtual graduations for the class of 2020, many new graduates are looking for their first jobs in a very different world than they were planning for just a couple months ago. Today we check in with some of them. Plus: how rural libraries are holding up, how consumer spending is changing and the tense dynamic between reopening companies and employees who don’t feel safe coming back.

Fed Chairman Jay Powell is live-streaming during this crisis like everyone else, and today he warned of a prolonged recession caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Today we’ll break down his remarks and what Congress might do about it. Plus: why home prices aren’t falling and how children’s TV changed America.

Over 200 economists have signed a letter asking the Trump administration not to impose its new “Buy American” restrictions on medical supplies over fears they’ll exacerbate shortages and raise prices. Today, we do the numbers. Plus: the life of a hairstylist in a reopening state, what it would look like if a major American airline went under and a conversation with the CEO of Twitch.

Across the country, many nonessential businesses and restaurants are reopening. But when the public is scared of the ongoing pandemic, we might be opening the door for more demand shock. Plus: 78% of the people who lost their jobs last month were temporarily laid off. Should they feel optimistic about going back to their original jobs? And we’ll look at the market for masks and rental housing.

Nearly twenty-two million jobs lost and unemployment at 14.7% for April. It was a bad jobs report, no way around it. But there’s more to it then that. Today we dive into how furloughs are counted, what this means for people trying to make rent and what the “diffusion index” can tell us. Plus: We’re watching a lot of TV, but do people want to watch shows about the pandemic?

Today the NASDAQ closed up for the year. We’re not sure how you square that, except by once again digging into why the stock market is not the economy. We’ve also got Chinese trade and small business loan forgiveness on the docket today. Plus: How are you sleeping?

The economic effects of this pandemic are not equal. In our latest Marketplace-Edison Research Poll, we found a third of people have lost work, while about one-sixth of them are working more hours. Today we dig into why. Plus, the view on the ground as Texas reopens, a conversation with the CEO of Land O’Lakes and how the flower business is faring ahead of Mother’s Day.

The newest Marketplace-Edison Research Poll is out today, and it paints a stark picture of how Americans are feeling amid the coronavirus crisis. We’ll dig into one figure in particular: more than four in 10 Americans say they couldn’t come up with the money for an unexpected $250 expense. Plus, how the health care system is changing, what it’s like to be making COVID-19 tests right now and how hazard pay works.

The Small Business Administration says that as of Friday, banks have loaned out $175 billion from the federal Paycheck Protection Program. That’s good news for businesses and the banks lending to them. Today, we look at how long that money will last amid a new surge of applications. Plus, what’s going on with Texas oil, how consumer prices are changing and what to expect from Disney’s first-quarter earnings.