JCPenney shutting down 154 stores after coronavirus-driven bankruptcy

Nearly three weeks after JCPenney filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company has announced it will close down 154 stores nationwide in 38 states as a first step in reorganizing the business.

1.9 million seek jobless aid even as reopenings slow layoffs

Nearly 1.9 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, evidence that many employers are still cutting jobs even as the gradual reopening of businesses has slowed the pace of layoffs.

US private sector lost 2.7M jobs in May

Private employers slashed 2.7 million jobs in May as the coronavirus-induced lockdown devastated the U.S. economy and labor market, according to the ADP National Employment Report released Wednesday.

Use a desktop, not a smart phone to file for unemployment in Arizona, DES recommends

Hundreds of thousands are receiving unemployment benefits in Arizona, but tens of thousands more are still waiting as the Department of Economic Security (DES) has struggled to keep up with the unprecedented demand during the coronavirus pandemic.

Amazon says most of its pandemic hires can remain as full-time employees

Amazon will convert 125,000 of the 175,000 temporary roles hired since March to permanent jobs if employees would like to stay at Amazon long term.

41 million have lost jobs since virus hit, but layoffs slow

About 41 million people have now applied for aid since the virus outbreak intensified in March, though not all of them are still unemployed.

Survey shows effect of coronavirus on food scarcity, rent payments

A U.S. Census Bureau survey showed almost a quarter of respondents said they will have difficulty paying their rent or mortgage or will defer payments.

Researchers: Job losses due to pandemic hit Tempe hardest

Researchers say one zip code in Tempe had over 6,600 unemployment claims between March 14 and May 14, the most of any zip code in the state.

US existing home sales plunge 17.8% in April

The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that last month's decline pushed sales down to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.33 million units, the slowest pace since September 2011.

Report: Arizona unemployment rate doubled to 12.6% in April

The state Office of Economic Opportunity on Thursday reported that seasonally adjusted nonfarm unemployment in April rate rose to 12.6%, up from 6.1% in March and 4.8% in April 2019.

Taco Bell announces plans to hire 30,000 employees this summer

Irvine-based Taco Bell Corp. announced Thursday that the company, together with its franchisees and licensees, plans to hire at least 30,000 employees this summer while continuing to adhere to strict safety measures to protect its restaurant teams against the coronavirus.

Nearly 39 million have sought US jobless aid since virus hit

Roughly 38.6 million people have now filed for jobless aid since the coronavirus forced millions of businesses to close their doors and shrink their workforces, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Arizona paid over $500M in unemployment benefits last week

The state of Arizona has paid over half a billion dollars in jobless benefit payments in the past week. This surpassed the prior week of $160 million in payments.

With unemployment benefits boosted, some businesses are finding it hard to get workers to return to work

Restaurants have reopened as Arizona's stay-at-home order expired, but an unintended consequence of the CARES Act is causing headaches for some owners, who may have a problem getting their workers back.

Survey: 55 percent of employees say they work 1-10 extra hours remotely amid COVID-19

A recent survey done by Fishbowl, a employee social networking platform, found that the majority of its respondents said they were are working up to 10 more hours at home than they normally would if they were still working from their offices.