The U.S. lost a stunning 22 million jobs in March and April at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, with only about half of those numbers returning in the following seven months. With weekly jobless claims remaining high, voters might want to know more about what former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump intend to do on the issue of labor.
Biden has pledged to do whatever it takes to help jobs recover through direct stimulus payments. His plan includes funding for state and local governments to keep essential workers on their payrolls and federal payouts to supplement state unemployment checks.
Meanwhile, Trump favors tax cuts and deregulation to stimulate the economy but concedes that another infusion of cash stimulus is likely needed. The president also extended federal unemployment benefits for six weeks after they were set to expire in July but at a lower rate of $300 a week, half the amount of the earlier benefit.
Both candidates support tax incentives for manufacturers to keep jobs at home. Biden even proposes tax penalties for those businesses that ship manufacturing jobs overseas with the intention of selling finished products back into the U.S.
Whoever wins the election in November faces a daunting task, with millions still out of work, consumer spending slowing down, and a resurgence in coronavirus cases adding to the economic woes.
Read More on Trump and Biden's Plans:
Trump vs. Biden on Raising the Federal Minimum Wage
Biden vs. Trump on Student Loans and Higher Education
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif. 83rd District) on Tuesday joined Cheddar to express her support for the protest movement rocking the nation and to officially endorse Joe Biden for president.
GOP Iowa Rep. Steve King lost his primary race , former CIA agent Valerie Plame, famously outed in a scandal involving the George W. Bush White House, lost her bid for a seat in New Mexico, and Joe Biden comes closer to the official Democratic nomination.
More than 4,000 people have been arrested over the last six days during sweeping protests across the country in response to the police killing of black Minneapolis resident, George Floyd. Cheddar's Megan Pratz takes a deep dive into the rights of protesters and how to protect yourself while demonstrating.
Stocks are closing higher on Wall Street for the third day in a row, continuing a stretch of gains for the market.
The state of Minnesota has filed a human rights complaint against the Minneapolis Police Department in the death of George Floyd who died after an officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for minutes, even after he stopped moving.
Nine states and the District of Columbia are voting. Tuesday's elections will be the largest slate of presidential primaries in almost three months.
Former NAACP President, Ben Jealous, sits with Cheddar's Jill Wagner to speak on nation's unrest and President Trumps response.
Joe Biden blistered President Donald Trump a day after police drove back peaceful protesters near the White House so Trump could pose with a Bible before a damaged church.
Rep. Clarke spoke to Cheddar about the NYPD and Mayor De Blasio's handling on two NYPD squad cars driving into a crowd of protesters over the weekend.
As demonstrations across the country grow more violent by the day, Rashad Robinson says a lack of leadership in the White House is part of the issue.
