What Happened Today: Unemployment Keeps Rising, Economy Questions
NPR's economics correspondent answers listener questions about unemployment and the state of the U.S. economy during the coronavirus pandemic.
Economy
President Trump Visits Michigan, Argues It's Time To Reopen The State
President Trump on Thursday has visited a battleground state of Michigan, where he has sparred with Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — and made his case for reopening the state's economy.
Tyson Wilkes Plant Ramping Back Up After Temporary Closure
As hundreds of workers tested positive for COVID-19 at the Tyson plant in Wilkes County, the company says it plans to ramp up operations again this week.
How A Decades-Old Unemployment Insurance System Is Measuring Up In The Pandemic
Indivar Dutta-Gupta, a co-executive director at the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality, explains the U.S. unemployment insurance system's origins and role today.
Coronavirus Update: Unemployment Numbers Keep Growing Across The U.S.
Even as the nation's economy slowly reopens after shutdown, reports of millions more unemployed keep rolling in. NPR's economics and science correspondents discuss the latest coronavirus news.
Food Banks Say SNAP Is A Better Way To Get Food To People
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is buying billions worth of food to give it to food banks. But food banks say that SNAP, also known as food stamps, is a better way to get food to people in need.
'Between Life And Death': McDonald's Worker Says Pandemic Puts Safety In Focus
In his 30 years working at McDonald's, Bartolomé Perez joined several strikes to demand higher wages and better benefits. But the stakes have felt very different during the coronavirus pandemic.
38.6 Million Have Filed For Unemployment Since March
The United States is still losing jobs at an alarming pace two months after the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Another 2.4 million people filed claims for jobless benefits last week.
There's Still Time To Get A (Remote) Summer Internship
Some companies are going virtual with their summer internship programs; other firms have simply canceled theirs. Here's our resource guide to finding the internships that are out there.
Underfunded Unemployment Offices Leave Many Workers Still Waiting For Checks
State unemployment offices have been slammed as 36 million Americans have lost their jobs. Now, individuals and the U.S. economy are depending on these often underfunded operations to step up.