Virtual Thinker? TikTok Challenge? UofL honors 2020 graduates with "digital-first" celebration
UofL honors 2020 graduates with "digital-first" celebrationPR NewswireLOUISVILLE, Ky., May 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- University of Louisville graduates celebrated by posting their dance moves on TikTok.
A Week In New York, NY, On A $105,000 Salary
Welcome to Money Diaries, where we’re tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We’re asking women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.Today: a Registered Nurse working in Healthcare who makes $105,000 per year and spends some of her money this week on Insomnia Cookies.Editor’s Note: Refinery29 will be taking a Day of Pause on Monday. There will be no Money Diary on Monday, but we will be back on Tuesday. Additionally, in honor of both Mother’s Day and Nurses’ Week we have swapped the NYC diary to today and will have a non-NYC mother’s diary tomorrow. Occupation: Registered Nurse Industry: Healthcare Age: 26 Location: NYC Salary: $105,000 base + ~$20,000 from bonuses, overtime, and on-call Net Worth: ~$82,000 (checking account, savings, HYSA, 403(b), and IRA) Debt: $0 Paycheck Amount (2x/month): ~$2,320 (this is after taxes and pre/post-tax deductions). My paychecks can fluctuate anywhere between $2300-$2900. Monthly Expenses Rent: $1,900 for my half of a one-bedroom flex in a luxury building (I have the real room). Insane, I know, but at least my last month of rent is free. Loans: $0 (I have no student loans or credit card debt. I am extremely grateful that my parents paid for my college tuition.) Utilities: ~$23 (for my share) Wifi: ~$19 (for my share) Phone: Parents pay for the family plan Netflix: $8.99 Spotify & Hulu: $4.99 Acorns Roundups: $1 (I’m not currently contributing money to this now) iCloud storage: $2.99 New York Times Subscription: $6.13 Class Pass: $83 (on pause right now) Wage Works Transit: $127 deducted from one paycheck per month (used to pay for my unlimited Metrocard) Savings: $500-$1,500/paycheck Retirement: $500/paycheck (and my employer matches about $232 per paycheck. I have $42,000 in my 403(b) and about $7,000 in an IRA that I’m not actively contributing to.) Annual Expenses: Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card: $95 Life Insurance: $1,780 (my mom made me….) Amazon Prime: I use my mom’s account with her blessing Day One8:30 a.m. — My first alarm goes off. My boyfriend, L., gets out of bed to take a shower while I continue snoozing. Last night, I told L. to drag me out of bed (literally) because I’ve been waking up late every day for the past week. L. manages to get me out of bed at a reasonable time. I get up, brush my teeth, wash my face with Fresh Soy Cleanser and moisturize with Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream. No makeup today (or really, any day). I throw on Lululemon leggings, a cropped hoodie, Ultraboost sneakers, and my Canada Goose jacket for our Trader Joe’s trip. We grab our reusable bags, put on our masks, and head out to the subway. 9:30 a.m. — We take the train to Trader Joe’s and surprisingly, the line outside isn’t that long. I brought my work ID with me as TJ’s has been letting healthcare workers skip the line. I used to wait in the line for an hour every time because I felt bad skipping it, but L. constantly reminds me that I don’t have the luxury of working from home and that I should just use this perk. I grab my usual weekly groceries: spinach, cucumber, baby carrots, Roma tomatoes, balsamic vinaigrette dressing, potatoes, miso brown rice stir fry, garlic, hummus, vegan pesto, ground turkey, precooked balsamic chicken breast, yogurts, reduced-fat milk, green juices, pita bread, and pita chips. L. gets trail mix, steak, rosemary, potatoes, Brussel sprouts, and canola oil. I pay for the groceries. $95.5210:30 a.m. — We arrive back at my apartment and put away groceries. I do a 12-minute full-body HIIT workout and a 10-minute ab workout on YouTube. I’m dying by the end and vow to do more of these home workouts (lol sure). L. and I make coffee (iced latte for me, hot mocha for him) with my Nespresso. (Also, of note: L. and I don’t live together but have basically been quarantining together. I have one roommate, but she hasn’t been around since New York went into quarantine).12 p.m. — Lunchtime! We eat leftover arroz con pollo from our dinner yesterday while watching Breaking Bad on Netflix. L. has never watched Breaking Bad before! 2 p.m. — I make an iced matcha latte (I use a matcha powder stick from TJ’s and froth that with milk in my Nespresso milk frother and pour it over ice. It tastes like a cafe version and saves me $7). I also slice a piece of chocolate chip banana bread (I know, everyone and their mother is baking banana bread during quarantine) that I baked earlier this week. 4:30 p.m. — I peel myself off my bed to cook my lunches for my next two days at work. I make Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi with chicken sausage, spinach, mushroom, and vegan pesto. This is a super easy and filling meal and is always in my rotation. As I’m cleaning up, L. comes into the kitchen to cook dinner — steak, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts that we bought earlier today. (L. recently got laid off from his job and has been learning how to cook with his free time. He has never cooked in his life before last week and doesn’t even own a pan LOL.) 6:30 p.m. — Dinner and Breaking Bad. Last time L. made steak and veggies/potatoes, he over-salted everything, but today he did better! I’m so hungry I finish dinner within 15 minutes of the episode. After, L. does dishes while I shower and wash my hair. 10 p.m. — After spending hours vegging in bed, I decide that it’s probably a good idea to get ready for bed. It will be my first day back to work in nine days, as I was on “staycation” last week. AND, I have to wake up at 6:30. The Sunday scaries are real, guys. I do my night routine (same thing as my morning routine except I add Tatcha Peony Eye Cream) and crawl into bed with L. We talk a little and then both doze off. Daily Total: $95.52 Day Two6:20 a.m. — My first alarm. Nope. 6:25 a.m. — Still nope. I set another alarm for 6:35. 6:40 a.m. — I finally roll out of bed. I actually don’t feel THAT terrible so far. I’m one of those people who can get ready for work quickly, so I usually roll out of bed 15 minutes before I have to leave. I do the usual morning routine, make an iced latte with my Nespresso in my Yeti mug, and change into the exact same outfit as yesterday. I kiss L. goodbye and am out the door around 6:55. (L. will leave for his apartment later in the day, as he prefers to be at his apartment while I’m at work. I’ve offered him my apartment to stay at so he can minimize his exposure on the subway, but he is pretty adamant about going back to his apartment and reassures me that he will wear a mask and be careful. I’ve tried multiple times but with no success. It does make me feel better that other than coming to my apartment and going to Trader Joe’s with me, he doesn’t go outside.) 7:30 a.m. — I arrive at work. I’m usually at work 30 minutes early so I can change into scrubs, finish my coffee, eat breakfast, and clock in. 8 a.m. — And my shift beings. I work in a procedural unit and cases have been light since the start of COVID. Today is no exception, though we are slowly progressing towards going back to our normal caseload. I help around in the pre/post area and then go into the procedure room for half of one case and all of the next case. 1:30 p.m. — Lunchtime. I heat up my cauliflower gnocchi and eat with a coworker in the cafeteria. We chat about life and contemplate getting a coffee but decide against it. Since the pandemic began, a lot of restaurants/businesses have been donating food to the hospital for essential workers, so there are a lot of meals/coffees/snacks for free. The support is really heartwarming to see! 1:45 p.m. — I get back to the unit. All of our cases are done and our patients are discharged. (Even when we’re done with cases for the day, we need staff for emergencies that may come through. Therefore, we always make sure there’s a team of three or four around just in case.) A few of my coworkers want to get food/snacks, so I tag along and get the coffee I’ve wanted since lunch. 6 p.m. — And I’m out! I go to the locker room to change, deposit my scrubs back into the machine, and take the bus home. I have a final tonight for one of my classes and I haven’t studied for it. My professors for my classes have been super lenient/flexible throughout the semester, as they are all aware that almost all of us graduate students work as RNs full-time and are under extreme stress at work during this pandemic. My exam tonight will actually not be counted toward my final grade if it is lower than my midterm grade, which is great because I did well on my midterm. 8:15 p.m. — Done with my exam. I make myself some dinner — pita bread, pre-cooked balsamic rosemary chicken, spinach, cucumber, tomato, hummus, half an avocado, and some baby carrots on the side. I can’t remember the last time I ate this healthy. After I eat, I shower (but don’t wash my hair), put away dishes, wash more dishes, and take out the trash and recycling. Afterward, I eat my last slice of banana bread and do my last assignment for my class later this week in bed. 11 p.m. — I lose interest in my assignment and decide to just call it a night. Luckily, I work my normal 9 a.m. shift tomorrow, so I don’t have to wake up as early. I do my night routine and sleep. Daily Total: $0 Day Three7:30 a.m. — I do not want to be awake right now. I snooze until 8 before getting up and doing my quick morning routine. 8:15 a.m. — I run out the door to catch the subway. I get to work at 8:45, change, and inhale my breakfast and coffee while I browse through the New York Times on my phone. Then, I head to my unit and clock in for my shift. 1:30 p.m. — Lunchtime. I eat lunch with a coworker in the cafeteria. More cauliflower gnocchi and a La Croix for me. We eat, chat, and then head back to the unit. 7:05 p.m. — I leave work for home, We weren’t very busy today. I’m enjoying it while it lasts because the rest of the week looks like it’s going to pick up. L. meets me in the lobby of my apartment complex and we take the elevator up to my apartment. I make the same dinner as yesterday and we watch an episode of Breaking Bad.9 p.m. — I quickly shower as L. does the dishes. Then, I lay in bed while I finish and submit my last assignment for class. I have one more class tomorrow but as far as I’m concerned, the spring semester is over. 11:30 p.m. — Bedtime.Daily Total: $0 Day Four9:30 a.m. — I wake up a little later than I would’ve liked, but I’m off today so I will allow it. After my morning skin routine, L. and I make coffee and I make an egg scramble (eggs, ground turkey, spinach, mushroom, and topped with tomato and avocado) for us for breakfast. We watch an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine while we eat. 11 a.m. — I bake banana bread for my coworker as a thank you for a favor she did for me last week. It comes out smelling delicious and I resist the urge to steal a bite. 3 p.m. — I wake up from an accidental nap. I wasn’t even tired, but the gloomy weather made it much easier to fall asleep. I usually try to go for a walk on my days off, but the weather is not great today. Instead, I decide to cook my lunches for the next two days — Trader Joe’s Miso Brown Rice Stir Fry and salmon. I also make myself an iced latte with one shot of espresso and grab a chocolate bar to share with L. 4:30 p.m. — Before class, I quickly jump into the shower and wash my hair. Then, I sign into Zoom for my last class… I’m hardly paying attention. L. makes dinner while I’m in class — chicken katsu with rice7 p.m. — Class is over right as everyone is cheering for essential workers outside. We eat dinner and watch an episode of Breaking Bad as per usual. After dinner, L. does the dishes while I attempt to clean up all of the oil that’s splattered all over my stove. 9:30 p.m. — I don’t know why, but I’ve been craving cookies for the past few days. I was able to resist until now… I cave in and order six cookies from Insomnia. $18 with delivery fees, tax, and tip. I haven’t really spent money lately, so I don’t feel as bad. $1811:30 p.m. — Night routine and time for bed! Daily Total: $18 Day Five7:40 a.m. — After snoozing through quite a few alarms, I forgo more cuddles with L. and get out of bed. Quick morning routine and I’m out the door. 8:20 a.m. — I don’t usually order Starbucks anymore, but I left my tumbler at work and don’t have another, so I mobile order and pick up a grande iced coffee with whole milk. I use money that I already have on my app. 9 a.m. — The usual morning work routine — change, eat, drink coffee, clock in, and show my face on the unit! Our caseload is quite heavy today and it feels like things are going back to “normal.”1:45 p.m. — I take my lunch break with a coworker and then head to Starbucks. Starbucks has been giving out free coffee to healthcare workers (I guess I could have gotten my morning coffee for free, but I feel weird about asking something for free in my normal clothes. It makes me feel better when I’m at least wearing scrubs and with another coworker). I get a tall iced coffee with whole milk.6:30 p.m. — I end up going into a case with a patient I had earlier today and discharge him as well. He’s so sweet. I leave work at 7. I’m on call tonight, so I make sure I have my pager and an extra pair of scrubs. 7:45 p.m. — L. meets me at my apartment. He had a late lunch so he’s not hungry, but I make myself a pita bread with hummus, chicken, cucumber, tomato, and avocado with a side of carrots. On-call starts at 10, so I make sure to charge my phone, turn on my pager, and layout my scrubs and a pair of socks. Just a little background: The on-call team is a three-person team for overnight and weekend emergent cases, as our unit closes at 10. Overnight call starts at 10 p.m. and ends at 6 a.m. The pay is pretty good, so if I’m ever in need of some money and I get offered to pick up a call, I usually take it. 10 p.m. — I get myself ready for bed (brush, skincare routine, contacts out). I choose the most obnoxious tone for my pager and turn up the volume on my phone. Being on-call can be/still is nerve-wracking because I worry about sleeping through a page. It helps that I stay at home for call (I live within the required distance to stay at home), but I usually end up sleeping poorly regardless of whether or not I get paged in. 11 p.m. — Sleep time! L. and I talk a little and then I doze off to sleep. Daily Total: $0 Day Six6:30 a.m. — I don’t know why I’m awake, but I roll over and check my phone and see that it’s 6:30! I rejoice that I once again have gone another night without being called in and then fall back asleep.7:30 a.m. — Up and at ’em. At least it’s Friday! Morning routine, iced latte in my tumbler, and out the door. It’s raining again, ugh. I slosh to the subway station. During my commute, I check my bank account (I got paid today!) and move some money to my HYSA.8:30 a.m. — Change, eat breakfast (vanilla Chobani yogurt, protein bar), return my pager, clock in, and show my face at work. It’s a slow morning due to a few late start times, but I’m not complaining. I recover a patient for the entire morning before sending her off to another unit. 2 p.m. — Lunchtime. I eat with my coworker. We go to the cafeteria and even though I brought my lunch of salmon and stir-fried rice and veggies, I want snacks. I buy a sparkling water and a bag of potato chips. After we eat, we go to Starbucks once again for a free coffee. $4.187 p.m. — Freedom!! L. and I have discussed ordering Italian food for dinner, so I text him that I’m leaving work and he orders from an Italian restaurant near me. He uses a 15% discount I have and the total is $43. I Venmo him for my half. $228 p.m. — L. arrives, and shortly after, so does the food. Delivery people are no longer allowed past the lobby, so now deliveries are placed on a table in the lobby near the “concierge” desk (I don’t know what to call it…? It’s the desk where the doormen sit). L. and I go down to the lobby, grab our food, and head back up. Again, we watch another episode of Breaking Bad. 11:45 p.m. — I’m getting super sleepy, so L. and I call it a day. Tomorrow, we’re tagging along on my coworker’s grocery shopping day (she drives and usually goes grocery shopping at various stores in the suburbs near where she’s from). We’ve done this a few times before because we both love grocery shopping (is that weird?), and L. will be joining this time. You know you’re an adult when grocery shopping excites you.Daily Total: $26.18 Day Seven9:30 a.m. — We wake up a little later than I want, and I see a text from my coworker, N., that she’s about to leave her place in Brooklyn. I brush, wash my face, moisturize, and change. L. and I head out to get coffee from the coffee shop around the corner — iced latte for me, mocha for L., and iced coffee for N. I pay and tip $1. $17.7510:15 a.m. — N. arrives right as we leave the cafe — perfect timing. We start the drive up to the ‘burbs — our first stop is H-Mart. There’s a line, but I don’t mind because it’s nice outside. I buy bok choy, apples, a cabbage, matcha Kit-Kats, tofu, noodles, and cilantro (I later find out that I accidentally grabbed parsley, sigh). L. and I want to marinate beef ribs and have a few sides, so we also buy marinade, beef ribs, kimchi, kimbap, pickled cucumbers, pickled radish, and fish cake. The total is $93.79 but L. Venmos me $60. $33.7912 p.m. — Next stop, Trader Joe’s. I grab two bags of miso brown rice stir fry, a red bell pepper, a sweet potato, a red onion, milk, almond milk, sweet potato chips, two RX Bars, two green juices, trail mix for L., olive oil, olive oil spray, and a bag of cauliflower gnocchi ($52.68). Our last stop is a local grocery store, where I grab a bunch of random things: sauerkraut, chicken meatballs, cauliflower crusts, a family pack of chicken breasts, a zucchini, chocolate chip cookies, two fried chicken sandwiches, and two hot sandwiches from their hot bar for lunch for L. and me (their prepared foods are DELICIOUS). ($67.97). We head back into NYC. $120.65 4:45 p.m. — After dropping off some groceries for N.’s siblings who live nearby, N. drives us back to the apartment. 7 p.m. — Dinner and Breaking Bad, as usual. 11:45 p.m. — Where did the past couple of hours go?! L. and I talk about our plans/errands tomorrow, and since the weather is supposed to be beautiful, we decide to do some errands in the morning and then try to spend some time outdoors in the afternoon. Night routine and time for bed. Daily Total: $172.19COVID-19 has been declared a global pandemic. Go to the CDC website for the latest information on symptoms, prevention, and other resources.Money Diaries are meant to reflect individual women’s experiences and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior. The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more money diaries, click here. Do you have a Money Diary you’d like to share? Submit it with us here. Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here: r29.co/mdfaqsLike what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?A Week In Chicago, IL, On A $230,961 SalaryA Week In Philadelphia, PA, On A $91,000 SalaryA Week In Tampa, FL, On A $40,000 Salary
Fed Flying Blind on Economic Outlook as U.S. Slowly Reopens
(Bloomberg) -- Millions of virus-idled American workers are now at home with little more than hand-wringing anxiety about where their next paycheck will come from. They are Jerome Powell’s biggest worry, and how to ease their plight with monetary policy is the Federal Reserve chairman’s largest challenge.The Fed will probably debate using instruments including stronger forward guidance or asset purchases when officials meet next month, which would add more muscle to interest rates that have already been slashed to zero.But those tools require officials to have a forecast they trust of where the economy is heading. The lack of clarity could be a reason to dial down expectations that they would take such steps in June, because officials will struggle to form an outlook as the nation slowly reopens.Policy makers have already described the difficulties that forecasters face.Vice Chairman Richard Clarida warned of “enormous uncertainty” in a CNBC interview and said “we have to be appropriately humble as we’re navigating this period.” San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly told Bloomberg Television that forecasting “has become very tough” now because it depends on the course of the virus. Philadelphia’s Patrick Harker described scenarios, including one with a second infection wave and “a painful economic contraction of GDP in 2021 as shutdowns are reintroduced.”Even so, Powell has said that the Fed will do what it can to curb the human tragedy of the virus’s economic harm.He helped nurture the longest U.S. expansion on record, a period of growth that was just starting to reach the most marginalized workers, from people with criminal records to those with little schooling.The Fed chief spent the last year on a listening tour to hear from ordinary Americans and discuss obstacles to even bigger gains.‘Absolute Limit’He’s now pledged to use Fed powers to the “absolute limit” to prevent the contraction from leaving deep scars on the economy’s long-term ability to grow -- through bankruptcies of small businesses or deterioration in worker skills. And he is boldly urging Congress to do more.“It is about not just winning the war against a depression, but it’s about securing the peace, winning the peace. We failed in 2008-09 to secure the peace,” Mohamed El-Erian, a Bloomberg columnist and chief economic adviser to Allianz SE, told Bloomberg Television Friday “We won the war against a threat of depression then, but we did not secure a peace of higher growth, more inclusive growth and sustainability.”In an April 29 press conference, Powell was asked if he’s troubled by the prospect that the downturn does the most harm to Americans who have only just managed to get a foothold in the labor market. “That’s exactly what I worry about,” he said.Record UnemploymentU.S. government data on Friday shows the nation headed in that direction. Employers cut 20.5 million jobs in April and the unemployment rate more than tripled to 14.7%, the harshest labor market downturn in the history of the data series. All the indications point to a brutal recession. The central bank wants to make sure it is as short as possible.Fed officials next month are due to refresh their quarterly Summary of Economic Projections, where all 17 anonymously write down a forecast for their policy interest rate, GDP, inflation and unemployment. They skipped the process in March due to a rapidly changing outlook.With so many puzzles yet to be resolved, they may diminish its importance or skip it again at their June 9-10 meeting.Officials have already assured investors that interest rates will be held near zero until they are confident the economy is back on track to achieve their twin goals for full employment and 2% inflation.Zero RatesTraders have priced in zero rates for the rest of the year, and possibly even negative interest rates in 2021, an idea that Powell has dismissed in the past and which other officials played down last week as a prospect in the U.S.With rates already at zero, “the second tool,” said Daly, “has been forward guidance,” and then balance sheet policies. Still, there is a sense at the Fed that monetary policy will have to be complimented with further creative fiscal policy to help push demand higher.Fed officials have worked with the U.S. Treasury and Congress to provide bridge credit to everything from Main Street businesses to the largest corporations.“Will there be a need to do more though?” Powell asked at his April 29 press conference. “I would say that it may well be the case that the economy will need more support from all of us if the recovery is to be a robust one.”For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Volkswagen's most aerodynamic car is a record-breaking prototype made in 1980
The most aerodynamic car ever to wear a Volkswagen emblem on its nose isn't the newest Golf GTI or an ID-badged electric model. It's a forward-thinking prototype named Aerodynamic Research Volkswagen (ARVW) developed and built in 1980 in response to the oil shortages that rocked the global economy in the 1970s. Volkswagen initiated the project because it wanted to learn more about aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.
Billionaire Ken Fisher’s Dividend Stocks With Upside Potential
Billionaire Ken Fisher is a well-known name on Wall Street, but for those who don’t know or recognize him, he is a money manager who runs Fisher Investments. Fisher Investments has over $80 billion in assets. In addition, Fisher is a popular author, with several of his books becoming New York Times bestsellers and a long-time […]
How Bad Is Unemployment? 'Literally Off the Charts'
The American economy plunged deeper into crisis last month, losing 20.5 million jobs as the unemployment rate jumped to 14.7%, the worst devastation since the Great Depression.The Labor Department's monthly report Friday provided the clearest picture yet of the breadth and depth of the economic damage -- and how swiftly it spread -- as the coronavirus pandemic swept the country.Job losses have encompassed the entire economy, affecting every major industry. Areas like leisure and hospitality had the biggest losses in April, but even health care shed more than 1 million jobs. Low-wage workers, including many women and members of racial and ethnic minorities, have been hit especially hard."It's literally off the charts," said Michelle Meyer, head of U.S. economics at Bank of America. "What would typically take months or quarters to play out in a recession happened in a matter of weeks this time."From almost any vantage point, it was a bleak report. The share of the adult population with a job, at 51.3%, was the lowest on record. Nearly 11 million people reported working part time because they couldn't find full-time work, up from about 4 million before the pandemic.If anything, the numbers probably understate the economic distress.Millions more Americans have filed unemployment claims since the data was collected in mid-April. What's more, because of issues with the way workers are classified, the Labor Department said the actual unemployment rate last month might have been closer to 20%.It remains possible that the recovery, too, will be swift, and that as the pandemic retreats, businesses that were fundamentally healthy before the virus will reopen, rehire and return more or less to normal. The one bright spot in Friday's report was that nearly 80% of the unemployed said they had been temporarily laid off and expected to return to their jobs in the coming months.President Donald Trump endorsed this view in an interview Friday morning on Fox News. "Those jobs will all be back, and they'll be back very soon," Trump said, "and next year we're going to have a phenomenal year."But Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton, said that such optimism was misplaced, and that many of the jobs could not be recovered."This is going to be a hard reality," Swonk said. "These furloughs are permanent, not temporary."Many businesses have indicated that employees can work from home throughout the summer, hurting sales at downtown restaurants. Meetings and conferences have been put off as well, reducing demand at hotels and other gathering places. And the longer the pandemic lasts, the more businesses will fail, deepening the downturn.The broad nature of the job cuts, too, means it will take longer for the labor market to recover than if the losses were confined to one or two areas."There is no safe place in the labor market right now," said Martha Gimbel, an economist and labor market expert at Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative. "Once people are unemployed, once they've lost their jobs, once their spending has been sucked out of the economy, it takes so long to come back from that."Carrie Hines, a managing director at an advertising firm in Austin, Texas, had the kind of professional job -- adaptable to working from home -- that seemed insulated from the pandemic's effects. But her firm worked closely with companies in the airline, hotel and amusement park industries. When their business evaporated as a result of the outbreak, it was only a matter of time before Hines' firm felt the impact. She was laid off April 20."I was shocked," she said. "I've never had a gap in work since college."Hines and her husband are cutting back where they can, and they have canceled plans to send their three children to summer camp. "I never imagined this kind of job market where the entire advertising industry has been crushed," she said.The scale of the job losses last month alone far exceed the 8.7 million lost in the last recession, when unemployment peaked at 10% in October 2009."I thought the Great Recession was once in a lifetime, but this is much worse," said Beth Ann Bovino, chief U.S. economist at S&P Global.The only comparable period is when unemployment reached about 25% in 1933, before the government began publishing official statistics. Then, as now, workers from a variety of backgrounds found themselves with few prospects for quickly landing a new job.The government's official definition of unemployment typically requires people to be actively looking for work, making the measure ill-suited to a crisis in which the government is encouraging people to stay home. Some 6.4 million people left the labor force entirely in April, meaning they were neither working nor looking for work.Joblessness -- by any measure -- could be even higher in the report for May, which will reflect conditions next week. Some economists say the unemployment rate should fall over the summer as people begin to return to work. Several states have begun to reopen their economies, and others are expected to do so in coming weeks.But with the virus untamed, it's not clear how quickly customers will return to businesses. And epidemiologists and economists warn that if states move too quickly, they could risk a second wave of infections, imperiling public health and the economy."That would stop people from shopping and cause austerity," Bovino said.For businesses, the uncertainty about the path of the pandemic and about consumers' response to it is making planning difficult.When Austin Ramirez heard about the coronavirus earlier this year, his initial concern was for his supply chain. Ramirez runs Husco International, a manufacturer of hydraulic and electromechanical components for cars and other equipment. The company has a factory in China and receives parts from suppliers there and around the world.By April, virtually the entire U.S. auto industry was shut down, Husco included. (The company's nonautomotive production continued at a reduced rate.) Ramirez said he didn't know when business would bounce back. His goal is to weather the storm."There's no visibility or certainty on what the future demand is going to look like," he said. "We can't build a business model that relies on there being a big recovery six months from now."While most of Husco's roughly 750 North American workers have been furloughed during the crisis, the company has mostly avoided large-scale, permanent job cuts. Ramirez said he expected that most of his workers would come back when he needs them.But particularly in industries like retail and hospitality, layoffs that were initially temporary might not remain so as bankruptcies mount and business owners confront shifts in consumer behavior.Most forecasters expect the unemployment rate to remain elevated at least through 2021, and probably longer. That means that it will be years before workers enjoy the bargaining power that was beginning to bring them faster wage gains and better benefits before the crisis.This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company
GOP in power grab to rein in Dem governors on virus response
Republican-controlled legislatures are increasingly trying to strip Democratic governors of their executive authority to close businesses and schools, a power grab by lawmakers that channels frustration over the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic but could come with long-term consequences for how their states fight disease. The efforts to undermine Democratic governors who invoked stay-at-home orders are most pronounced in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, all three of which have divided government and are key to President Donald Trump's path to reelection. Democratic governors there face lawsuits, legislation and other moves by Republicans trying to seize control of the response to the virus.
Oil and investment asset price declines will affect Kuwaiti solvency - Emir
The decline in oil prices and the value of investment assets since the start of the coronavirus outbreak will have an adverse impact on the "financial solvency" of the state, Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah said on Saturday. "Kuwait is facing the big and unprecedented challenge of shielding our economy from the external shocks caused by this virus, specifically the decline in oil prices and the value of investments and assets, which will have a negative impact on the financial solvency of the state," the emir was cited by the state news agency KUNA as saying. It wasn't clear if the comment meant that Kuwait could delay the payment of government dues, or whether it was a general statement about the deterioration of the state's finance as a result of the economic impact of the health crisis.