Retail sales were way up in May. But don't pop the Champagne just yet.

Jun 16, 2020
March and April's weak numbers were easy to beat. Upcoming changes, such as the end of unemployment bonus payments, may stall the upward trend.
A reopened clothing store in Los Angeles. U.S. retail sales climbed at a record rate in May.
Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images

Kudlow says extra $600 for unemployment benefits will end in July

The director of the National Economic Council called the benefits a “disincentive” for people to get back to work.
Kudlow says the Trump administration is looking at a potential bonus for people returning to work.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
U.S. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, right, does not want to extend the extra benefits past July.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Did PPP loans spur the jobs recovery?

Jun 5, 2020
Businesses that received CARES Act loans had to rehire workers to have those loans forgiven. But what happens next for America's job market?
President Trump during the Paycheck Protection Program signing ceremony.
Photo by Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times/Pool/Getty Images

Job losses indicate we are in a "she-cession"

May 28, 2020
Women are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic when it comes to jobs.
Two servers at a reopened restaurant in Las Vegas. The jobs that have been lost recently,  like servers and retail clerks, are mostly done by women.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images

COVID-19 jobless claims are now over 40 million. Many are still waiting for unemployment benefits.

May 28, 2020
As weekly jobless claims continue to climb, unemployment systems are still processing a backlog.
Since pandemic lockdowns began, at least 30 million Americans have been approved to receive state or federal unemployment benefits.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images

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Contested gig worker classification causes issues with jobless benefits

May 27, 2020
A group of ride share drivers have sued New York over unemployment hold ups.
Demonstrators call for unemployment benefits in Los Angeles in April.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

When watching for the recovery, continuing jobless claims are key

May 21, 2020
The difference between initial jobless claims and overall continuing claims is an important one.
A sign at a gas station tells customers it is closed. Unemployment has reached alarming levels in the United States.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

What happens if you choose not to go back to work in Texas?

May 20, 2020
The executive director of the Texas Workforce Commission said they're making some allowances so people who choose not to go back to work keep receiving benefits.
Employment advertisements in a 2014 newspaper in Australia.
Scott Barbour/Getty Images