Scott Horsley

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Joseph Lavorgna, chief economist of the White House's National Economic Council, about economic relief during the coronavirus pandemic and the priorities going forward.

It's been about five months since our economy ground to a halt. How has the pandemic affected your job, your finances and your family?

While U.S. employers added 1.8 million jobs in July, the pace of hiring was slower than a month earlier. And with tens of millions still out of work, it could be a long road back to full employment.

U.S. employers added 1.8 million jobs in July, down from 4.8 million the month before. The unemployment rate inched down to 10.2%.

Congress is stalled in the latest round of stimulus talks, as they try to negotiate another round of pandemic relief payments. What are the economic consequences for Americans?

As Congress debates whether to renew supplemental unemployment benefits for people thrown out of work by the pandemic, new research shows those benefits offer a critical boost for the U.S. economy.

The coronavirus continues to take a toll on the U.S. economy, endangering President Trump's chances for reelection. But the White House has done little to advance economic recovery efforts.

In a week of bleak economic news, some companies are finding ways to prosper. Amazon notched record profits during its most recent quarter, but Google's parent company saw its first drop in sales.

The pandemic triggered a historic drop in the U.S. economy this spring. And a hoped-for summer rebound could be short-circuited, as infection rates grow around the country.

The coronavirus triggered the sharpest economic contraction in modern history in the second quarter as the pandemic hammered the economy, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The Federal Reserve wrapped up a two-day policy meeting Wednesday. The central bank has moved aggressively to prop up the economy, but Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said more help might be needed.

Millions of Americans who lost jobs during the pandemic are in danger of having their incomes cut for a second time. The sudden halt in payments would be felt in households and throughout the economy.

Consumer spending is rebounding, yet Americans continue to file for unemployment week after week, something Congress has to consider as it moves to shore up the pandemic U.S. economy.

Wednesday is the deadline for Americans to file their tax returns. Thousands of IRS agents are still working from home, and many of the volunteers have been sidelined by the pandemic.

With summer travel plans on hold because of the pandemic, a lot of Americans are putting money into projects around the house. That's taxing lumber supplies and pushing prices higher.

The federal deficit is ballooning as the government tries to cushion the blow from the coronavirus pandemic. June's shortfall totals $864 billion — more than in an entire typical year.

Applications for jobless benefits are up again. "What we're seeing now is that lots more people who are unemployed are going to be unemployed for a longer period of time," economist Nick Bunker says.

Federal regulators issue a new rule that removes a key provision crafted during the Obama administration. Lenders no longer have to check that borrowers can repay a loan.

Restaurants, retail shops, and other service industries are starting to bounce back from the deep recession. But those gains could be jeopardized by a rise in new coronavirus infections.

Millions of Americans went back to work last month as the economy re-opened. But the job gains could be jeopardized by a new surge in coronavirus infections.