Cities in China not under lockdown still feel the pain

May 23, 2022
Dozens of cities are under lockdown or COVID-19 restrictions, and that is affecting businesses across China.
COVID-19 restrictions in China make it hard to attract new overseas investment and foreign talent, a member of the European Union chamber of commerce in China says.
Hu Chengwei/Getty Images

As employers compete for scarce workers, some employees are winning big wage gains

May 6, 2022
On average, wages aren't rising as fast as inflation. But not all workers are getting average raises.
New data show that hourly wages are up by 5.6 percent on average as of March, but employees are demanding more from employers in a strong labor market.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. authorities extend work permits for hundreds of thousands of immigrants

May 5, 2022
The move is intended to ease a massive backlog at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, but not every applicant is eligible.
Help wanted sign in front of a store front.

Shanghai firms drift back to work but hurdles remain

May 4, 2022
Shanghai is allowing a small number of firms to resume operations. In a heavily locked-down environment, many of them are finding it's not that easy.
Regular COVID-19 tests are required for workers in Shanghai who receive work permits — though the process to getting there can be arduous.
Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images

How supply chain issues and inflation have started to reshape advertising

Apr 15, 2022
What's the message for brands when the stuff they're selling is either not available or more expensive?
Some brands are shifting away from product-focused advertising as supply chain issues make it harder to get goods.
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Businesses seek different ways to avoid inventory shortages and supply chain problems

Apr 14, 2022
Some businesses are switching products, while others try to build up and promote products that are available.
Fearing empty shelves, some retailers are stocking up what they can when they can.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Does Russia's invasion of Ukraine mark a turning point for U.S. businesses?

"The days of posturing and pretending are over," says Harvard's Ranjay Gulati.
"The days of posturing and pretending are over," said Harvard's Ranjay Gulati.
Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

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Facing omicron, businesses stick to COVID-19 protocols and hope for the best

Dec 17, 2021
Nearly two years into the pandemic, with vaccination mandates and other precautions in place, businesses are operating without new ways to mitigate risk.
With fewer safety nets and little new guidance, businesses are sticking with existing protocols and grappling with how to address the new, highly transmissible omicron variant.
Cindy Ord via Getty Images

WhatsApp outage highlights the scale of its worldwide use

Oct 5, 2021
The Facebook property has become a business lifeline in countries where other communication alternatives are expensive or inaccessible.
The interruption of Facebook's WhatsApp platform on Monday hindered communication and business across the globe.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

Here's another shortage to add to the list: paint

Sep 29, 2021
Ryan Amato of Ryan Amato Painting in Easton, Pennsylvania, talks us through the challenges.
Thanks to labor shortages and a lack of resin, paint is in short supply.
Ming Yeung/Getty Images