ECONOMY

Empty parking lots surround an Amazon distribution center in Shepherdsville, Ky., that has been closed for cleaning after several employees tested positive for COVID-19.

Amazon Closes Kentucky Warehouse After Workers Test Positive

3:51pm March 26, 2020

by Alina Selyukh

The closure of a Kentucky warehouse is the first confirmed prolonged shutdown of an Amazon facility. Workers in at least 10 others have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting shorter closures.

Claims for unemployment benefits are spiking across the country as businesses shut down to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

3.3 Million File For Unemployment Claims, Shattering Records

11:59am March 26, 2020

by Jim Zarroli

A record number of Americans filed for unemployment benefits for the first time last week as the coronavirus hammered the economy. It's nearly five times the levels seen during the Great Recession.

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Economy

Brookings' David Wessel: Analyzing The New Unemployment Numbers

9:39am March 26, 2020

NPR's Noel King speaks with David Wessel of the Hutchins Center at the Brookings Institute about the new unemployment numbers.

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Washington State Deals With Economic Fallout From COVID-19

8:28am March 26, 2020

NPR's Noel King talks to Suzan LeVine, commissioner of the Employment Security Department for Washington, about how the state is dealing with a surge in jobless claims.

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News Brief: Coronavirus' Economic Effects, Testing For COVID-19

5:55am March 26, 2020

New unemployment claims are expected to shatter records. A $2 trillion emergency relief package passes in the Senate and heads to the House. And, the mixed message about testing for the coronavirus.

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Senate Passes Bi-Partisan Relief Package Amid COVID-19 Economic Downturn

5:55am March 26, 2020

by Kelsey Snell

The Senate overwhelmingly approved the $2 trillion package Wednesday night. It is designed to alleviate some of the worst effects of the economic downturn as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gives a thumbs-up as he leaves the Senate chamber Wednesday.

Senate Passes $2 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Package

11:28pm March 25, 2020

The Senate has passed a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package that includes cash to Americans and help for small businesses.

What Happened Today: Listener Questions About The Economic Relief Bill, More

9:30pm March 25, 2020

NPR economics and science correspondents answer listener questions about what the federal government is doing. Are the latest measures working? What is happening with the economic relief bill?

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell leaves the Senate floor on Wednesday as the U.S. Senate was poised to pass a massive relief package for Americans and businesses ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic.

What's In It For You? $1,200 Checks, 13 Weeks Of Unemployment Payments And More

7:12pm March 25, 2020

by Danielle Kurtzleben

Congress has announced agreement on a $2 trillion economic relief package for the effects of COVID-19. Most households will get a relief check, and unemployment insurance has been greatly expanded.

Coronavirus Updates: Economic Rescue Legislation, Unemployment Projections

4:23pm March 25, 2020

NPR global health, economics and politics correspondents recount the latest developments in the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis it has caused.

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