A closed shopping mall is seen in Lima, Ohio on March 24, 2020 amidst the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Megan JELINGER/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
By Christopher Rugaber
A record-long streak of U.S. job growth ended suddenly in March after nearly a decade as employers cut 701,000 jobs because of the viral outbreak that's all but shut down the U.S. economy. The unemployment rate jumped to 4.4% from a 50-year low of 3.5%.
Last month's actual job loss was likely even larger because the government surveyed employers before the heaviest layoffs hit in the past two week. Nearly 10 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in the last two weeks of March, far exceeding the figure for any corresponding period on record.
Virus-induced shutdowns have forced widespread layoffs throughout the economy, from hotels, restaurants and movie theaters to auto factories, department stores and administrative offices.
One sign of how painfully deep the job losses will likely prove to be: During its nearly decade-long hiring streak, the U.S. economy added 22.8 million jobs. Economists expect the April jobs report being released in early May to show that all those jobs will have been lost.
Higher rents and food prices boosted overall U.S. inflation in December, a sign that the Federal Reserve's drive to slow inflation to its 2% target will likely remain a bumpy one.
Tech companies of all sizes are showing off their latest gadgets at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. And that includes new technology that's changing the world of food and drinks.
Matt Hougan, CIO of Bitwise Asset Management, gives Cheddar the latest on the Securities and Exchange Commission approval of bitcoin ETFs. Hougan calls this time a 'potential major milestone for bitcoin.'
LeBron James has agreed to an exclusive deal with Fanatics Collectibles. James and his son, Bronny, will appear together on a unique sports trading card to herald the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s new multiyear partnership with Fanatics.
Joe Zhao, Managing Partner at Millennia Capital, joined Cheddar to discuss the latest stock moves and how the market is being impacted by artificial intelligence.
Wall Street was quiet early following a lackluster session a day earlier as markets await U.S. inflation data and high-profile corporate earnings reports later in the week.
The World Economic Forum says false and misleading information supercharged with cutting-edge artificial intelligence is the top immediate risk to the global economy.
