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Unemployment claims hit lowest level since pandemic began

Mar 25, 2021
Still, a total of 18.9 million people are continuing to collect jobless benefits, up from 18.2 million in the previous week.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

As state unemployment trust funds empty, employers face soaring taxes

Mar 24, 2021
States are scrambling to raise money — and changing their unemployment systems in other ways.
Owner Chris Knudson at Well 80 Brewhouse in Olympia, Washington. Knudson just started broadcasting Well 80’s weekly Tuesday Trivia Night live on the brewpub’s big-screen TVs for in-person diners, after holding the event virtually via Zoom for the past year during the pandemic.
Mitchell Hartman/Marketplace

As restaurants and bars reopen, some find workers are scarce

Mar 19, 2021
With warmer weather in some places and more people getting vaccinated, the industry is preparing to serve more patrons.
Despite new hiring, the restaurant industry has a long way to go, says Erica Groshen, a senior economic adviser at Cornell University.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Unemployment claims rise to 770,000 with layoffs still high

Mar 18, 2021
The four-week average of claims, which smooths out weekly variations, dropped to 746,000, the lowest since late November.
About 18.2 million Americans were receiving some form of jobless aid in the week of Feb. 27, down by 1.9 million from the week before.
Karen Ducey/Getty Images

With unemployment high, why can't companies find the workers they need?

Mar 17, 2021
There are many theories, including unemployment benefits being too high, a skills mismatch and low wages.
Businesses could attract more workers if they raised wages, one expert says. According to the National Federation Independent Business, that's starting to happen.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Asian Americans disproportionately hit by long-term unemployment, study says

Mar 16, 2021
In the fourth quarter of 2020, nearly half of Asian Americans who were unemployed had been out of work for more than six months.
Racism and discrimination have compounded the economic harm many Asian Americans are facing.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A year of pandemic unemployment, by the numbers

Mar 11, 2021
Three economists share statistics that depict the depth and length of the COVID-19 recession.
For the past 51 weeks, first-time claims have been higher than at any time during the Great Recession.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Unemployment claims fall to 712,000 as pace of layoffs eases

Mar 11, 2021
It's evidence fewer employers are cutting jobs amid a decline in confirmed coronavirus cases and signs of an improving economy.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

What unemployment benefits are included in the new COVID-19 relief bill?

Mar 9, 2021
If passed, eligible Americans will receive $300 weekly payments until Sept. 6. The bill also includes a tax break for unemployment benefits.
President Joe Biden speaks at the White House following the passage of the American Rescue Plan in the U.S. Senate on Saturday.
Samuel Corum/Getty Images

For the long-term unemployed, jobs report is not so upbeat

Mar 5, 2021
The longer people are away from the workforce, the longer it takes to return.
People who have been out of work for prolonged periods may lose the confidence they need to keep looking.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images