Like many people whose jobs involve personal interaction, Nicole Burke Stephenson had to get creative to keep making money while social distancing.

Many retail and food workers are losing temporary wage bumps they got during the pandemic. Some say their work hazards are only increasing, while their wage is lower than unemployment benefits.

NPR's business correspondent answers listener questions about safety at the workplace as more and more businesses are reopening around the country.

NPR's business correspondent answers listener questions about safety at the workplace as more and more businesses are reopening around the country.

Many retail and food workers are losing temporary wage bumps they got during the pandemic. Some say their work hazards are still high, and their wage is lower than unemployment benefits.

People whose jobs involve personal interaction have seen their incomes vanish during the time of social distancing. That's led some to develop creative ways of making money.

Temporary store closures during the pandemic hammered nonessential retailers, including Kohl's, T.J. Maxx and Victoria's Secret. Shoppers also dramatically cut back on buying clothes.

In his 30 years working at McDonald's, Bartolomé Perez joined several strikes to demand higher wages and better benefits. But the stakes have felt very different during the coronavirus pandemic.

Though its stores remained open, Target saw its online sales jump 141% in the past three months, with 5 million shopping on the retailer chain's website for the first time.

Three months after filing for bankruptcy, Pier 1 said it plans to liquidate as soon as it can reopen stores that have been closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The retailer says it hired 235,000 staffers to keep up with demand during the coronavirus pandemic. Its online sales jumped 74%. Shoppers visited stores less frequently but spent more on each trip.

Millions of Americans have lost work and money due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, some businesses are reopening. Are you ready to go back to normal life? NPR wants to hear your story.

J.C. Penney began 2020 with hopes of yet another turnaround. Instead, the coronavirus shutdowns across the country have forced the department store and mall mainstay into bankruptcy.

No more ear piercings or play areas — shopping centers around the country are making safety adjustments, eager to reopen from the costly shutdowns during the pandemic.

Cynthia Murray's hours had already been cut, and she was worried about her health in the pandemic. Then a man shouted at her. "I just really felt uncomfortable," she says. So she went on unpaid leave.

Retail sales saw record drops for the second month in a row. Other categories with huge declines included a 59% dive in furniture sales and 29% decreases in department stores and gas stations.

"What I'm seeing is a lot of clients who are eligible to apply for unemployment are simply too afraid to do so," one immigration lawyer tells NPR.

The pandemic has devastated the job markets across the U.S. The April jobs report reveals the massive toll the crisis took on industries — from restaurants and retail to health care and automotive.

The luxury chain known for its extravagant Christmas Book catalog had been losing money before the pandemic. The move follows J.Crew's bankruptcy filing on Monday, foreboding potentially more to come.

Allie Clancy, an aspiring TV producer, had to cut short her internship at Boston's TD Garden arena. "I'm trying to get used to the idea that I might not get a job in my field for a little while."