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COVID & Unemployment

What you need to know about the job market during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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COVID & Unemployment

Long-term unemployment rose slightly in December

by Meghan McCarty Carino
Jan 8, 2021
But it doesn't account for those who've stopped looking for work.
The view from an empty, closed restaurant in New York City early in the pandemic. The long-term unemployed have become a large proportion of the overall jobless population.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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COVID & Unemployment

Hiring in a pandemic requires a different calculus

by Andy Uhler
Jan 8, 2021
Small business owners are getting burned out making hiring and firing decisions while cash flow is weak and uncertainty reigns.
An employee stocks merchandise at a store in Glendale, California. Many businesses have reduced staffing as the pandemic reduced cash flow.
David McNew/Getty Images
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COVID & Unemployment

U.S. loses 140,000 jobs, first monthly loss since spring

by Associated Press
Jan 8, 2021
The figures suggest employers have rehired roughly all the workers they can afford to after laying off more than 22 million.
The unemployment rate stayed at 6.7%, the first time it hasn’t fallen since April.
Mark Makela/Getty Images
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COVID & Unemployment

Millions will get their relief payment via debit card. That's good ... and bad

by Justin Ho
Dec 30, 2020
Cards are usually cheaper than checks. Unless there's a dispute.
President Donald Trump holds one of the prepaid debit cards being issued by the IRS, during a Cabinet meeting in May.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
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COVID & Unemployment

Trump's relief delay causes unemployment confusion

by Mitchell Hartman
Dec 28, 2020
Two pandemic programs briefly expired. It could have meant billions in lost relief for one week — but it didn't.
President Donald Trump has signed the COVID-19 relief bill after refusing to do so for several days. Above, the president and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House for Mar-a-Lago last week.
Samuel Corum/AFP via Getty Images
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COVID & Unemployment

Holiday temp work down this year, even with a lot of e-commerce hiring

by Mitchell Hartman
Dec 24, 2020
Seasonal gains in temporary jobs are behind last year's pace.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
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COVID & Unemployment

Will companies choose to rehire laid-off employees or hire new ones?

by Erika Beras
Dec 23, 2020
When they're ready to start hiring, businesses have to consider costs and legal issues.
A flight attendant passes out refreshments. Airlines are among the industries that could rehire workers once pandemic relief is distributed.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
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COVID & Unemployment

Layoffs still up as 803,000 seek unemployment benefits

by Associated Press
Dec 23, 2020
Before the virus struck, applications typically numbered around 225,000 a week before shooting up to 6.9 million in early spring.
The job market remains under stress nine months after the coronavirus outbreak sent the U.S. economy into recession and caused millions of layoffs.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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COVID & Unemployment

Will the latest stimulus last long enough?

by Sabri Ben-Achour
Dec 22, 2020
The $900 billion in relief was a compromise that may not compensate for the prolonged economic hardship.
Empty tables stand outside of a restaurant in Manhattan on Dec. 11, 2020, in New York City.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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COVID-19

What we know about the latest plan for more COVID relief

by David Brancaccio , Rose Conlon , Erika Soderstrom and Alex Schroeder
Dec 18, 2020
Direct payments in the range of $600 and extra unemployment benefits around $300 per week are on the table.
"What we really need in this package is a bridge to when the weather is warmer and the vaccines are disseminated," says Marc Goldwein, senior vice president and senior policy director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
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