Economy

American Indicators Check-in: The Faces And Stories Behind The Economic Statistics

5:12pm April 21, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with the American indicators, four people whose stories illustrate what the American economy faces a month after President Biden signed a coronavirus relief bill into law.

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How Pandemic Responses Are Shaping The Economic Recovery Of 3 Continents

4:57pm April 20, 2021

by Scott Horsley

China, Europe, and the United States have had mixed success in controlling the pandemic, and it's shaping the economic recovery on three continents.

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Economy

LA Dedicates $1 Billion To Fight Homelessness

6:52am April 20, 2021

by Anna Scott

The LA city budget being released today includes $1B to address homelessness. The region has been tackling the issue for years but it continues to get worse because of housing costs.

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When You Add More Police To A City, What Happens?

6:30am April 20, 2021

by Greg Rosalsky

A new study looks at the effects of growing police forces on racial inequality.

Economy

U.S Economy Looking Good As Spending Jumps In March

7:59am April 17, 2021

by Scott Horsley

There was lots of good news on the economic front this week. Consumers are spending more money and fewer people are getting laid off.

Pro-union Amazon warehouse worker Jennifer Bates vows at a rally in Birmingham to keep fighting to unionize the Amazon Bessemer warehouse.

Big Union Loss At Amazon Warehouse Casts Shadow Over Labor Movement

4:47pm April 16, 2021

by Stephan Bisaha

The resounding vote against forming a union at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama is a blow to the labor movement. It has glimmers of hope but in the private sector unions are rare and mostly weak.

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Barbara Gaught stands outside the home she's now renting in Billings, Mont., with her 5-year-old son, Blazen, and their dog, Arie. Gaught and her family were evicted from the mobile home they had owned outright and lived in for 16 years because they fell

Losing It All: Mobile Home Owners Evicted Over Small Debts During Pandemic

10:45am April 16, 2021

by Chris Arnold

Mobile home owners right now are twice as likely as other homeowners to be behind on housing payments. And some are losing their homes over small amounts of rent they owe for land the home sits on.

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Diners eat lunch at Max's Oyster Bar in West Hartford, Conn., on March 19. Retail sales surged last month as $1,400 relief payments and easing coronavirus restrictions led shoppers to open their wallets.

Signs Of Economic Boom Emerge As Retail Sales Surge, Jobless Claims Hit Pandemic Low

4:52pm April 15, 2021

by Scott Horsley

Retail sales jumped nearly 10% in March, as shoppers, flush with $1,400 relief payments, are feeling more confident about venturing out. Weekly unemployment claims dropped to a pandemic low.

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Rep. Katie Porter, a Democrat from California, during a House Oversight Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in March 2020.

What Is Infrastructure? It's A Gender Issue, For Starters

4:38pm April 15, 2021

by Danielle Kurtzleben

Many traditional infrastructure jobs have gone to men in the past. Progressives like Rep. Katie Porter fear that the way Biden is splitting his economic agenda could hurt American women.

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The Economy May Be On The Mend As Retail Sales Soar And Unemployment Claims Fall

4:35pm April 15, 2021

by Scott Horsley

Retail sales soared in March, as vaccinations and $1,400 relief payments boosted shoppers' outlook. New state unemployment claims also fell to their lowest level since the pandemic took hold.

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