ECONOMY

Safiya Kitwana of Lithonia, Ga., is a single mom with two teenage kids who lost her job in the pandemic. A federal program would pay all her back rent so she could keep her home. But DeKalb County, Ga., will only pay 60% of people's back rent, and Kitwana

Georgia County Tried To Help Everyone Facing Eviction. Now A Crisis Looms

2:36pm July 23, 2021

A federal moratorium on evictions ends next week. But $50 billion from Congress to help Americans behind on rent isn't reaching many who need it. One problem: local rules that deny people the help.

A farmer holds soybeans from her Nebraska farm in 2019. Today, farmers are struggling to find containers that can ship their products to Asia.

Economy

Farmers Have A Big Problem On Their Hands: They Can't Find A Way To Ship Their Stuff

1:48pm July 23, 2021

by Scott Horsley

Cargo ships are unloading containers in the U.S. and immediately shipping them out, empty, to Asia. That's frustrating American farmers and exporters who are struggling to get products overseas.

Economy

Transportation Tie-Ups Are Causing Headaches For The Export Business

7:41am July 23, 2021

by Scott Horsley

The bottlenecks aren't just making it hard for Americans to get their hands on imported products. They're also hurting exporters whose containers may leave U.S. ports empty.

How Unemployment Can Disproportionately Affect Neighboring States

5:54am July 23, 2021

by Anthony Brooks

The recovery from the pandemic-induced recession can differ from state to state. We dig into the reasons behind the vast disparities in jobless rates in New Hampshire and neighboring Massachusetts.

Even With The Economy Down, The Pandemic Sparked A Small Business Boom In America

4:58pm July 22, 2021

During the COVID-19 crisis, almost 7 million Americans have started new businesses. Though an all time record, it's not unusual for such conditions to make people hungry to start their own thing.

Hey Investors: Plan Before The Crash

4:58pm July 22, 2021

by Chris Arnold

Millions of Americans have started investing during the pandemic. For many it's been a great ride, with stocks hitting all-time highs. But now the market is wobbling, with wild swings up and down.

As offices reopen, workers are scrambling to adjust their pets to life outside of the home.

Economy

You Adopted A Pandemic Pet. Now You're Going Back To The Office. What Next?

12:59pm July 22, 2021

by Savannah Sicurella

The luxuries of remote work were temporary for many. As workplaces reopen offices and resume in-person operations, pet owners are scrambling to adjust to a new routine.

Economy

The Indicator From Planet Money Probes Inflation's Sneaky Cousin: Shrinkflation

5:30am July 22, 2021

When companies don't want to directly raise prices, they often shrink the size of the product while keeping the same price. This tendency to downsize products has come to be known as shrinkflation.

Michigan's two largest hospital systems, Spectrum Health and Beaumont Health, announced last month they wanted to merge. Hospital mergers and monopolies are increasingly the norm in the United States — which drives prices.

The Untamed Rise Of Hospital Monopolies

7:12pm July 20, 2021

by Greg Rosalsky

America has seen decades of consolidation of its hospitals, raising prices for consumers. President Biden now wants to do something about it.

Lamar Cornett has worked in restaurants for more than 20 years. During the pandemic, he began thinking about leaving that career behind.

Low Pay, No Benefits, Rude Customers: Restaurant Workers Quit At Record Rate

6:50pm July 20, 2021

by Alina Selyukh

Average wages for nonmanagers at restaurants and bars hit $15 an hour in May, but many say no amount of pay would get them to return. They are leaving at the highest rate in decades.