US retail sales plunged 16% in April as virus froze economy

U.S. retail sales tumbled 16.4% from March to April as business shutdowns caused by the coronavirus kept shoppers away, threatened stores across the country and weighed down a sinking economy.

3 million more US layoffs intensify fears of lasting damage

Roughly 36 million people have now sought jobless aid in just the two months since the coronavirus first forced businesses to close down and shrink their workforces, the government said Thursday.

Lost your job? Here's what you need to know

Nearly 33.5 million Americans have lost their jobs and applied for unemployment benefits in the past 7 weeks — a stunning record high that reflects the near-complete shutdown of the U.S. economy.

US jobless claims soar past 30 million as 3.8 million more workers seek aid

More than 3.8 million laid-off workers applied for unemployment benefits last week as the U.S. economy slid further into a crisis that is becoming the most devastating since the 1930s.

Smallest businesses get a few hours at head of loan line

Smaller businesses that need coronavirus relief will get to move to the front of the line come Wednesday.

US economy shrank at 4.8% rate last quarter as coronavirus struck

The U.S. economy shrank at a 4.8% annual rate last quarter as the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the country and began triggering a recession that will end the longest expansion on record.

Social Security and Medicare funds at risk even before coronavirus pandemic

For Social Security, the projected 2035 date for exhausting the trust fund reserves means that it would be able to pay only 79% of benefits.

Didn't get your stimulus check? IRS launches tracking tool

The IRS has launched a tracking tool to allow taxpayers a way to see when their stimulus money will arrive and confirm how they want to be paid.