ECONOMY

U.S. Slowly Whittles Away At Mountain Of Pandemic Job Losses, Jobs Report Shows

4:18pm February 05, 2021

by Scott Horsley

A lackluster jobs report from the Labor Department on Friday increases the pressure on policymakers to offer additional economic aid. Without additional help, a full jobs recovery could be years away.

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Member Of White House Council of Economic Advisers On The Coronavirus Relief Plan

4:18pm February 05, 2021

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Heather Boushey, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, about the latest jobs numbers and the upcoming coronavirus relief plan.

Demonstrators call for a union and $15 minimum wage at a McDonald's in Charleston, S.C., in February 2020. The U.S. Senate has voted to prohibit an increase in the federal minimum wage during the pandemic.

Senate Says No To $15 Minimum Wage For Now, But Democrats Vow To Push On

12:18pm February 05, 2021

Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 remains a priority of President Biden and Democrats after the Senate approved an amendment prohibiting a wage increase during the pandemic.

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Construction workers are on the job in Simi Valley, Calif., earlier this week. Nationally, hiring resumed in January although the labor market still has a big hole to climb out of.

U.S. Adds Just 49,000 Jobs In January, 'Not Anywhere Close' To Recovering Those Lost

12:13pm February 05, 2021

by Scott Horsley

U.S. employers added 49,000 jobs last month, after a pandemic-driven slump in December. Unemployment fell to 6.3%.

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How A Federal Minimum Wage Hike Would Affect Small Businesses

11:14am February 05, 2021

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with small business owners about how raising the minimum wage would affect them.

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Seed companies are seeing historic levels of demand this year from home gardeners and commercial farmers, and they're having a hard time keeping up.

Suppliers Field Growing Demand For Seeds From Pandemic Gardeners

7:26am February 05, 2021

by Dana Cronin

Many people stuck at home during the pandemic turned to gardening for the first time. The unexpected spike in demand has seed suppliers struggling to keep up.

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Economy

GameStop Mania Likely Won't Happen Again. Here's How To Invest Wisely

7:20am February 05, 2021

by Chris Arnold

Some investors in a Reddit group made a pile of money off GameStop's wild ride. But it's unlikely something similar will happen again. Here's how you can make smart investments.

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Economy

Lessons Learned From Those Who Made Money And Lost It During The GameStop Stock Craze

4:31pm February 04, 2021

by Chris Arnold

Some people made a pile of money off GameStop's wild ride before the bottom fell out. Others will take big losses. What are the lessons from the recent market mayhem for everyday investors?

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The White House says President Biden's COVID-19 economic rescue plan, including an expanded child tax credit, would help cut child poverty in half.

Biden Plan To Expand Child Tax Credit Could Help Lift Millions Of Kids Out Of Poverty

2:24pm February 04, 2021

by Steve Inskeep

The president wants to expand the federal child tax credit for lower-income households. "In one fell swoop, it'll essentially lower the child poverty rate by more than 40%," says analyst Chuck Marr.

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Biden Plan To Expand Child Tax Credit Could Help Millions Out Of Poverty

1:19pm February 04, 2021

NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Chuck Marr, director of federal tax policy at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, about the Biden administration's proposal to expand the child tax credit.

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