The rate reflects parts of the economy reopening in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. An unexpected drop in the unemployment rate set off a fresh round of debate on Friday over how fast the economy can rebound from the coronavirus pandemic and how much the government should intervene to help. The unemployment rate fell …
Surprise unemployment drop sparks debate over how fast the economy will rally Read More »
The rate reflects parts of the economy reopening in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The unemployment rate dropped to 13.3 percent in May, amid a push for a reopening economic rally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The economy gained 2.2 million jobs last month, as states started relaxing stay-at-home orders and opening for business. …
Unemployment drops in May to 13.3 percent as states reopen Read More »
We know that unemployment is sky-high, but that’s not the end of the story. The Economic Policy Institute’s Heidi Shierholz sounds a warning that, if lawmakers don’t act, we’re looking at a depression. “If the federal government provides sufficient aid during this crisis so that people’s income doesn’t drop dramatically (even if they have been unable to …
We need strong policy now to avert a depression, this week in the war on workers Read More »
A total of 38.6 million workers have now applied for unemployment assistance over the past nine weeks. Another 2.4 million workers filed new unemployment claims last week, DOL reported, suggesting that the economic pain from the coronavirus is continuing even as states begin to allow businesses to reopen. The coronavirus has forced nearly 39 million …
Unemployment claims rise by 2.4 million as states try to open for business Read More »
The U.S. president recently ordered meatpacking employees back into workplaces plagued by coronavirus. He did not order the employers to make their slaughterhouses safe. GOP-proposed legislation exempts employers from lawsuits by employees sickened or killed by coronavirus infections at workplaces. The GOP is mostly silent about requiring employers to maintain safe or healthy workplaces. Employers across the …
Capitalism vs. Safety, Health: An Old Story Again Read More »
The U.S. economy lost 20.5 million jobs in April, taking payroll employment back to levels last seen in spring 2011 when the economy was recovering from the Great Recession, and the unemployment rate jumped by a historic amount to 14.7%, according to figures released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate for white …
Economy Loses 20.5 Million Jobs in April; Unemployment Jumps to 14.7% Read More »
At some point, some way, businesses and other parts of the economy will reopen. Donald Trump wants that to happen within weeks, quickly and without regard for public health. But while we need to insist on listening to public health experts about when to reopen, there are also questions about what it should look like when that …
What would it look like to reopen the economy safely? First, listen to workers Read More »
Consider this absurdity: The U.S. government’s policy in the face of the current capitalist crash is to “return the economy to the pre-coronavirus normal.” What? In that “normal” system, private capitalists maximized profits by not producing the tests, masks, ventilators, beds, etc., needed when coronavirus hit. Profit-driven capitalism proved extremely inefficient in its response to the virus. …
Capitalism Can’t Be Repaired—Coronavirus Shows Its Huge Weaknesses Read More »
Unemployment claims remained high last week at 6.6 million, the Labor Department reported, as massive job losses continued to pile up due to the coronavirus pandemic. The claims, for the week ending April 4, flooded in as confirmed coronavirus cases approached 300,000 and as nearly every state ordered its citizens to stay at home. Economic …
Unemployment claims near 17 million in three weeks as coronavirus ravages economy Read More »
Unemployment is skyrocketing as entire industries shut down or scale back dramatically in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Unemployment claims rose 30% last week, with 281,000 newly jobless people filing for unemployment insurance. But the numbers that are still to come are going to be much worse. How much worse? Well, the Labor Department is asking states not …
Trump administration wants states to zip their lips about soaring unemployment numbers Read More »
Madeline Messa is a 3L at Syracuse University College of Law. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism. With her legal research and writing for Workplace Fairness, she strives to equip people with the information they need to be their own best advocate.
