Week of May 4th, 2020

TGIF

Many businesses remain open, but the island and its economy are not untouched by the global COVID-19 crisis.

Today we dive into how furloughs are counted, what this means for people trying to make rent and what the “diffusion index” can tell us.

It’s not just the depth of job losses that’s clear now. It’s also the breadth of job loss across industries.

Several major production houses have announced COVID-19-themed shows.

Unlike the first round, the second round of the Paycheck Protection Program has largely favored coastal states. New York, New Jersey, California and Washington, D.C. received the most loans relative to their share of the US population.

We’ve got answers to some common questions about rent payments, eviction moratoriums and rent strikes.

Unemployment is higher than it’s been since the Great Depression. Economists estimate that more than 40% of layoffs will likely be permanent.

The U.S. lost 20.5 million jobs in April. The unemployment rate is at 14.7%. Native American tribes are grappling with a surge of COVID-19 cases. Food banks at colleges and universities are seeing more and more students show up.

Since the crisis started, more than 33 million people have filed for unemployment.

The federal government sent billions of dollars in aid this week, but tribes say it’s not enough.

As bad as jobs numbers will be, they won’t capture the full picture of unemployment. The White House says the first phase of its trade deal with China is on track. How will people celebrate Mother’s Day during the pandemic?

A London brewery wants people to donate a beer to support hardworking health care professionals. Australia announces its COVID-19 recovery plan. Contact tracing faces a hurdle over users’ data privacy.

Schools are trying to assess student needs through the summer, and possibly through the coming year

There will be less less close contact and brunches, more electronics, books and creativity.

Some have lost jobs since the April survey, others may not be counted as unemployed because they are not actively seeking work.

Demand for its sellers’ face masks has exploded, and amenities for being house-bound have become popular.

The ambitious trade deal was signed just weeks before the pandemic hit.

Plus, why so many oil tankers are slowing way down, and why men need to get over themselves. What else is new?

We’ve also got Chinese trade and small business loan forgiveness on the docket today. Plus: How are you sleeping?

Kevin Harrington was exonerated last month after spending 17 years in prison for a first-degree murder conviction. He and his family are overjoyed, but the coronavirus pandemic means freedom looks a little different right now.

There are a lot of dark headlines to absorb. But doing something that brings you happiness might help more than you think.

Businesses that have received PPP loans have to carefully manage how they spend the money if they want those loans to be forgiven.

Mortgage applications have picked up, along with pending sales.

It’s not just you. Sleep has gotten weird for all of us.

Another 3.2 million people filed for unemployment. Only during COVID-19 could that be an improvement. Facebook’s oversight board is here. Millions of undocumented immigrants and some legal immigrants won’t get government aid. Sinclair hit with a record FCC fine.

Food banks are seeing a surge in demand as COVID-19 pandemic pushes many newly-unemployed toward food insecurity.

The group will decide some of the thorniest issues surrounding hate speech, harassment and privacy.

That’s the equivalent of one in five Americans who had been employed in February.

Graduating from college during a pandemic can be a career nightmare. One college wants to give its class of 2020 a leg up. Filings for state unemployment benefits have been soaring, but that number misses many people. And, listener stories from Econ Extra Credit.

The Bank of England warns of a deep recession, though a quick recovery in 2021. Panic after gas leaks from a chemical plant in India. New Zealand’s winter tourism market suffers from a ban on most foreign visitors.

It’s hard to graduate into a recession. Colby College is trying to change that.

Some people haven’t applied for unemployment because they don’t think they qualify, and others can’t get through the application process.

Campaigns are strategizing how to digitally advertise amid the pandemic.

Here are 4 cases to watch.

That’s one of the big questions for this edition of “Whadda Ya Wanna Know Wednesday.”

With a disrupted supply chain and drops in agriculture prices, Land O’Lakes CEO said it’s a tough time for dairy farmers.

A Marketplace Edison Research poll found a third have lost hours but 16% are working more.

Many low-paid New Yorkers rely on the subway to get to and from work. Now, a daily halt to operations for four late night hours is complicating their commutes.

Plus, the view on the ground as Texas reopens, a conversation with the CEO of Land O’Lakes and how the flower business is faring ahead of Mother’s Day.

More than 40 states have plans to lift restrictions, clearing the way for people to return to work. But are employees ready for that?

Flower farmers are hurting as events like weddings are canceled during the global pandemic.

This season, we explore the history and policies that help make sense of this current moment, a time where issues of wealth and poverty feel even more stark than usual. New episodes start May 13.

There were 20.2 million fewer people on American payrolls in April. Uber and Lyft are reporting first quarter earnings, and ridership is way down. With COVID-19, the role of big meat producers is changing in the supply chain.

There are still many virus prevention measures that deter people from traveling.

The company is trying to readjust to whatever the post-pandemic travel industry will look like.

ADP says its payroll data for April shows the worst job loss numbers ever.

Shutting down just one or two of those plants can take out 10% of the meat supply.

Uber and Lyft both have quarterly earnings call this week.

They were struggling before the coronavirus pandemic. If anchor stores close, that could have a domino effect on smaller shops.

Awaiting the numbers on layoffs, hiring and unemployment. Tourism revenue in China was down 60% during the recent holiday. A forecast that half of all department stores located in U.S. shopping malls will close by the end of 2021.

Business activity in the eurozone plummeted to its lowest level ever in April. Why have the European Central Bank and Germany’s courts clashed over bond buying? Rethinking aviation’s business model.

The foreign-born are essential for innovation, the industry’s lobbying group says. Other countries welcome them in.

The seafood industry has long relied on the export market and food service to keep it afloat.

States get about 70% of their income from sales and income taxes. Uh, now what?

Most businesses, especially small ones, don’t have a disaster plan for a global pandemic.

In the Marketplace-Edison Research poll released today, 41% of respondents could not pay an unexpected $250 expense.

Plus, how the health care system is changing, what it’s like to be making COVID-19 tests right now and how hazard pay works.

We hear from people at a coronavirus test-making facility in Maryland.

Precautions will likely start at the door as customers return to nonessential retailers. Shopping will be a different experience.

The health plans, available to gig workers and the self-employed, are seeing an “influx of enrollment,” one expert says.

Arlan Hamilton’s new book gives readers a look at her journey from food stamps to being on th ecover of “Fast Company.”

Lower income people were already very anxious well before COVID-19. The price of crude oil has been on a two-day roll. Airlines focus on frequent flyers. The Treasury Department says it will borrow $3 trillion in three months.

That’s almost triple what the Treasury borrowed in the 2019 accounting year.

The last thing airlines want is for customers who fly business class to opt for rival carriers.

A new Marketplace-Edison Research Poll puts numbers to what we’ve been seeing and experiencing.

But those earning under $25,000 are about as anxious now as they were before the pandemic.

The findings of our new Marketplace-Edison Research Poll, a national scientific survey out today. It’s the highest jump we’ve seen in our Economic Anxiety Index®. Plus, an Iranian airline flouted flight restrictions on China, likely contributing to the spread of COVID-19.

Britain trials a new contact-tracing app as it prepares to loosen lockdown restrictions. India exporters feel the COVID-19 pinch. Has the global pandemic reshaped the agenda for U.S.-U.K. trade talks?

Our Marketplace-Edison Research Poll looks at how Americans are dealing with COVID-19.

Can — and should — flying robots monitor social distancing or remotely measure body temperatures?

Anyway, who wants bread pudding?

When it comes to companies that bank on large gatherings, analysts think COVID-19’s impact will be long-lasting.

Plus, what’s going on with Texas oil, how consumer prices are changing and what to expect from Disney’s first-quarter earnings.

The second round of Paycheck Protection Program funding has yet to be exhausted.

A government stimulus check, unemployment benefits and helpful roommates are keeping Neil Cairns afloat — for now.

Low crude oil prices have already achieved what regulators were seeking: to cut state production.

High school senior Vivienne Dragun was planning on working to save money for college this fall. Now with the coronavirus crisis, she’s not so sure.

After the 2008 crisis, people 62 or older who were laid off were much less likely than younger workers to return to the workforce.

President Trump said any new economic stimulus would have to include a cut in payroll tax. Credit cards adapt to the COVID-19 economy. When Warren Buffett talks, investors listen. How TV and movies are filmed during lockdown.

Online business will continue as usual, and J. Crew still has plans to reopen stores.

A new report finds the worst of COVID-19 job losses could be yet to come.

J. Crew has entered bankruptcy protection, the first major retail chain to do so during the COVID-19 era. A global summit aiming to raise more than $7 billion for vaccines and treatments. The 57 million people with jobs labeled “vulnerable.”

Italy has deep economic scars from its COVID-19 lockdown. The European Commission hosts an online pledge drive to help fund a pandemic vaccine. Air France and Norwegian Air have been handed lifelines.

Since many people aren’t traveling, the hotel company is trying to capitalize on an activity that gives people an incentive to use its cards.

The season finale of CBS’ “All Rise” was filmed entirely over video chat.

A team at Ohio State University will soon be making more than 100,000 a week.