Tricks of the TradeTrump's Second TermMy EconomyI've Always Wondered ...

Loading...

0:00
0% played
Support the fact-based journalism you rely on with a donation to Marketplace today. Give Now!
Stories Tagged as

Omicron

COVID-19

As COVID surges again, consumers and workers are worn out but resilient

by Mitchell Hartman
Dec 29, 2021
Pandemic-related negativity and fear isn't leading to negative or fearful economic behavior.
American workers are feeling burned out as they enter year three of COVID-19. They also have newfound leverage.
PeopleImages via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
COVID-19

Federal rules around COVID and health care workplaces lapse

by Meghan McCarty Carino
Dec 29, 2021
Under the requirements, OSHA had issued COVID-specific workplace standards for things like training, respirators and adequate ventilation.
OSHA required health care employers to provide things like training and adequate ventilation, but those protections were temporary.
Brandon Bell via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Omicron poses a heavy lift for gym owners

by Matt Levin
Dec 29, 2021
The usual New Year's resolution bump in the workout business may fizzle with the quick spread of the variant.
Companies peddling wellness can experience a boost in sales after the holiday season as people implement their New Year's resolutions.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
COVID-19

Rural hospitals, short of staff, brace for omicron

by Savannah Peters
Dec 28, 2021
Many health care workers have fled the pandemic's burdens in areas with low vaccination rates and fragile economies.
A health care worker tends to a COVID-19 patient in Apple Valley, California. Rural hospitals are struggling to hire staff amid surging case numbers.
Ariana Drehsler/AFP via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
COVID-19

Travel industry uses lessons from past COVID waves to deal with omicron

by Justin Ho
Dec 27, 2021
Like how to reduce contact, reschedule flights and handle the unexpected.
Airlines canceled hundreds of flights over the holiday weekend as the omicron variant spread.
David McNew/AFP via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Omicron creates uncertainty for women's labor participation rate

by Amanda Peacher
Dec 27, 2021
There are 2.3 million fewer women working now than before the pandemic.
The omicron variant could lead to another wave of women having to leave the workforce.
Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Where is consumer spending headed with omicron in the picture?

by Justin Ho
Dec 24, 2021
Manufacturers say they're still optimistic that demand will be there for goods they make. But consumers may start to pull back spending on services.
One likely reason that spending slowed in November? People wanted to get a jump on holiday shopping in anticipation of supply chain issues.
Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

For public good, not for profit.

Donate
COVID-19

Consumer confidence rises, undeterred by omicron

by Amanda Peacher
Dec 22, 2021
Americans are reassured that businesses are still operating. Yet some economic uncertainty lingers.
The spread of the new coronavirus variant hasn't seemed to dampen consumer confidence, which reached 115.8 in December. However, that remains below pre-pandemic levels.
Brandon Bell via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

Will employers need newly available seasonal visas?

by Kristin Schwab
Dec 21, 2021
Omicron has made businesses reassess staffing this winter.
While many resorts, hotels and restaurants rely on seasonal workers for the winter season, the cost of an H-2B visa can be steep for employers. Above, a worker stores ski shoes.
Jeff Pachoud/AFP via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
COVID-19

The new holiday tradition: rapid COVID-19 tests?

by Meghan McCarty Carino
Dec 17, 2021
Rapid tests could make holiday gatherings safer, but they can be hard to find when demand surges.
Rapid at-home COVID tests can be difficult to find during surges in cases. Above, an environmental protection organization distributes tests in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on Dec. 17.
Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE