Some sectors are thriving, while others continue to struggle, putting different people in vastly different situations. NPR is following four people who will help illustrate the arc of the recovery.
Early in the pandemic, shortages of N95 respirators and other medical gear prompted panic across the world. A year later, the masks still aren't widely available to U.S. consumers.
Some shoppers looking to buy new fridges, freezers or washers have been finding themselves out of luck. The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a monkey wrench into both supply and demand.
Although millions of Americans are out of work or working from home, many are still working at factories nationwide. They have some lessons on what it will take to "reopen" the country safely.
The coronavirus pandemic is taking a toll on the nation's factories. Manufacturing activity slumped in March as the virus cut into both supply and demand.
U.S. employers added more jobs than expected last month, while the unemployment rate inched up to 3.6%. Unusually warm weather contributed to job gains for construction workers.
Women got the lion's share of new jobs in December and now outnumber men on U.S. payrolls. This unusual situation reflects the growth of industries like health care where women dominate.
December's job growth is down slightly from the three previous months, when employers added an average of 200,000 jobs. But the unemployment rate held steady at 3.5%, matching a 50-year low.
The aircraft giant is the top U.S. exporter, and its decision to suspend production of the 737 Max is likely to ripple through the supply chain. Several analysts project that the move will cut growth.
U.S. employers added 136,000 jobs in September — a sign of continued resilience in the labor market amid growing signals that the economy is losing steam. The jobless rate was the lowest since 1969.
The Labor Department says U.S. employers added 130,000 jobs in August, fewer than private analysts had expected. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7%.
Manufacturing activity in the U.S. shrank last month for the first time in three years. Factories are especially sensitive to international forces, including the ongoing trade wars.
As the trade war drags on, more manufacturers are looking to relocate from China to avoid Trump's tariffs. A firm that sells Isaac Mizrahi's clothing line has already shifted much of its production.
Investors paused to catch their breath Thursday after the stock market suffered its worst drop of the year the day before. Consumer spending is still strong, despite signs of a looming recession.
Battered by a drop in sales and profits, Nissan plans cuts around the world — including more than 1,400 jobs in the United States. It's the latest sign of tumultuous times for the car industry.
Footwear companies face big costs in potential new tariffs on more Chinese imports. Almost all shoes sold in the U.S. are made overseas. Only about 200 factories remain. One man tried to change that.
The number of jobs added was well below the three-month average. Manufacturing, a key sector that is affected by trade tensions, showed weak growth. But the unemployment rate held steady, at 3.6%.
Employers added far more jobs than expected in April — another sign the U.S. economy is chugging along as the expansion nears the 10-year mark. The unemployment rate was the lowest since 1969.
A textile firm's reliance on China for raw materials has put it in the middle of a growing trade war — and its view on President Trump's tariffs is rather unusual: It both opposes and supports them.
President Trump boasts that his trade policies are bringing back the steel industry, but corporate earnings reports suggest they're also hurting the bottom line at some manufacturing companies.
A new report looks at the state of the manufacturing sector in Southern Nevada. One finding: Many companies are having a tougher time finding good workers than in finding work.
Harley-Davidson says new tariffs from the European Union are prompting the company to shift production of motorcycles sold in Europe overseas. The EU tariffs were in response to U.S. tariffs.
While some U.S. steel manufacturers may be embracing tariffs on imported steel, it could hurt some small manufacturers. Simonds International says it could put its Michigan plant out of business.
President Trump is weighing tariffs or quotas on steel and aluminum imports. But a backlash is brewing by aerospace companies and other manufacturers, who say such moves will drive up costs.
