ECONOMY

A trader reacts on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Monday. The U.S. stock market had its worst day since 2008.

Dow Dives More Than 2,000 Points; Steep Market Slide Triggered Trading Halt

6:54pm March 09, 2020

by Avie Schneider

Stock indexes tumbled so fast Monday that marketwide trading was halted temporarily for the first time since October 1997. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2,013 points, or nearly 8%.

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Economy

Stocks Continue Downward Slide, Now Greased By Oil Prices

4:23pm March 09, 2020

by Scott Horsley

Stock markets were convulsed by another wave of selling Monday. So many investors headed for the exits that trading was temporarily halted in the morning. The Dow finished down 2,020 points, or 7.8%.

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Laundry Between Emails: Working From Home Goes Viral In The Time Of Coronavirus

1:09pm March 09, 2020

by Yuki Noguchi

Love it or hate it, millions of workers are figuring out a new work-life balance as more employers try to curb the spread of the coronavirus by ordering them to stay away from the office.

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Saudi Arabia's Gambit Sets Off Turmoil Across Financial Markets

12:15pm March 09, 2020

NPR's David Greene talks to NPR's Camila Domonoske and Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser to Allianz, about the ramifications after Saudi Arabia announced a stunning discount in oil prices.

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Economy

U.S. Stock Market Opens; Fears Of Coronavirus Cause Plunge

11:14am March 09, 2020

Oil markets crashed and stocks plunged on Monday as a sudden clash among the world's biggest oil producers gave already rattled investors another reason to worry about the global economy.

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Oil prices dropped 30% Sunday after Saudi Arabia announced it would boost production and cut prices.

Oil Prices, Stocks Plunge After Saudi Arabia Stuns World With Massive Discounts

10:52pm March 08, 2020

Oil prices dropped as much as 30% following the unexpected Saudi decision to cut prices and boost production. The move reflects the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus and its economic effects.

Employers continued to add jobs in February, and the unemployment rate remained near historic lows.

Economy

U.S. Added 273,000 Jobs Last Month, But Economists Brace For Coronavirus Impact

11:19am March 06, 2020

by Scott Horsley

The increase was about 100,000 more than expected and unemployment dipped to 3.5%. The labor market appears resilient, but fears are growing that the coronavirus will take a toll on the economy.

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Economy

Mortgage Rates Fall To Record Lows. Does It Make Sense To Refinance?

10:36am March 06, 2020

by Chris Arnold

Americans are jumping at the chance to save a lot of money by refinancing their home loans — as mortgage rates fall to record lows. Why are rates so low, and when does it pay to refinance?

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A man wearing a protective face mask walks at a nearly empty shopping mall in Beijing on Feb. 27. Business activity in China has all but halted, with entire cities under quarantine and industries forced to lay off workers.

Coronavirus Spreads Recession Fears Around The World

6:46pm March 05, 2020

by Jim Zarroli

U.S. businesses are shutting down plants and watching their sales plummet around the world. Many economists now say odds are increasing that the economy will slow, if not contract altogether.

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Amazon is among the companies telling workers in the Seattle area to stay home as the coronavirus outbreak spreads.

Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft Tell Seattle Workers To Stay Home

2:05pm March 05, 2020

by Shannon Bond

U.S. companies are trying to limit disruption from the coronavirus outbreak by curtailing travel and telling some employees to work from home. Several major tech firms are among the latest to act.