• US economy takes biggest hit since Great Recession, falling at 4.8 percent rate

    US economy takes biggest hit since Great Recession, falling at 4.8 percent rate

    The US economy suffered its fastest contraction since the Great Recession as the coronavirus crisis put the country under lockdown, new federal data show. The nation’s gross domestic product — the value of all goods and services produced here — decreased by an annual rate of 4.8 percent in the first three months of the …
  • New York seeks $4B loan from US to cover unemployment tab

    New York seeks $4B loan from US to cover unemployment tab

    New York has applied for a $4 billion federal loan to help cover the ballooning cost of unemployment benefits amid the coronavirus crisis, officials said. The Empire State could use the interest-free line of credit from the federal Unemployment Trust Fund to pay for unemployment insurance benefits as needed over time, a state official said …
  • Elton John to host coronavirus benefit concert with remote performances

    Elton John to host coronavirus benefit concert with remote performances

    The Rocket Man is set for take off! Superstar Elton John will host a star-studded benefit special Sunday night on FOX, honoring the health care heroes and first responders battling the coronavirus pandemic. The “iHeart Living Room Concert for America” will feature remote performances from Alicia Keys, Backstreet Boys, Billie Eilish, Green Day’s Billie Joe …
  • Workers laid off due to coronavirus can’t get through to unemployment office

    Workers laid off due to coronavirus can’t get through to unemployment office

    Crashing websites and jammed phone lines are preventing workers put out of a job by the coronavirus crisis from even applying for unemployment benefits. Some are so frustrated by the endless dropped calls that they’ve considered just giving up — even if it means foregoing some much-needed cash. “You want to keep trying because you …
  • US jobless claims report: Record 3.2 million seek unemployment benefits

    US jobless claims report: Record 3.2 million seek unemployment benefits

    A record 3.2 million people applied for unemployment benefits last week as the coronavirus crisis forced layoffs around the US, the feds said Thursday. The seasonally adjusted total reported by the US Labor Department shattered expectations as well as the previous record of 695,000 initial jobless claims in a single week, which was set in …
  • Tips for if you’re let go because of Chinese virus

    Tips for if you’re let go because of Chinese virus

    Workers fired or dislocated by the coronavirus have big questions about everything from health care and unemployment benefits to fears of termination and Chinese virus exposure. Employment attorneys and other experts are being flooded with queries from people lacking immediate answers on their most basic rights in these unprecedented times, with many folks nervous about …