The Economic Rebound Is Still Waiting for Workers
The New York Times
Despite school reopenings and the end of some federal aid, many people are in no rush to land a job. Savings and health concerns are playing a role.
Fall was meant to mark the beginning of the end of the labor shortage that has held back the nation’s economic recovery. Expanded unemployment benefits were ending. Schools were reopening, freeing up many caregivers. Surely, economists and business owners reasoned, a flood of workers would follow.
Instead, the labor force shrank in September. There are five million fewer people working than before the pandemic began, and three million fewer even looking for work.
The slow return of workers is causing headaches for the Biden administration, which was counting on a strong economic rebound to give momentum to its political agenda. Forecasters were largely blindsided by the problem and don’t know how long it will last.
President Trump is getting little to no support so far for his call that other countries do their part to try to ease an energy crisis prompted by U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.
Bangladesh is taking steps to conserve electricity, which its factories need to keep stitching together the world’s clothing.
Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways have become some of the world’s largest and most profitable thanks to their location at the center of busy travel routes.
Geography and regional rivalries have prevented Gulf countries from finding a true alternative to the strait, which the war with Iran has effectively shut down.
President Trump’s son-in-law is trying to raise $5 billion or more from foreign governments and others for his private equity firm.
A methodological change contributed to a better-than-expected inflation report, prompting questions from some economists.
Beyond its effects on oil and gas, the unfolding war in the Middle East is roiling shipping and airfreight, threatening the availability of a vast range of goods.
High-energy lasers can burn drones in the sky like a blowtorch. But they can be stymied by weather, and making them at scale will be a challenge.
Countries already walloped by a breakdown of the international trading order, war in Ukraine and chaotic U.S. policymaking are facing potentially lasting economic damage.
A Washington Post appeal for information about the military qualified as prohibited “solicitation,” according to defense officials.
The technology giant’s siding with Anthropic in its fight against the Pentagon stands out in an era when big companies have tended to keep quiet.
Drivers are paying an average of 20 percent more at the pump since the strikes on Iran began. The global oil price was higher and stocks were mixed.
Whether President Trump signaled that he may soon end the military strikes is weighing on the minds of investors, executives and others.