Nearly 20,000 Arizona businesses received federal PPP loans
Professor of Economics Dennis Hoffman looks at the Paycheck Protection Program as the way the government chose to get as much money out as possible as quickly as possible.
Arizona unemployment rate fell in May, but is it a real indication of economic turnaround?
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we've seen case numbers, deaths, and unemployment rise. Then in June, we got good news on the labor market front. Is it any real indication of an economic turnaround? Lee McPheters, research professor of economics, answers.
U.S. economy gains 4.8 million jobs, unemployment rate falls to 11.1%
While the United States labor market showed improvements in June, it's only scratching the surface of the 22 million jobs lost from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Arizona unemployment rate dropped sharply in May, though economists advise caution on figures
The state still has about 163,000 fewer jobs than it did a year ago, but the turnaround is welcome nonetheless.
Why Martha McSally wants the government to pay for your next vacation
Professor of Economics Dennis Hoffman says the $4,000 tax credit proposed this week by Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., won’t persuade those who feel unsafe to travel. But given the measure’s extended time frame through Jan. 1, 2022, he sees merit in the concept.
Arizona unemployment rate drops to 8.9%, still at twice pre-COVID levels
According to the latest numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Valley posted one of the steepest unemployment drops in the country in May.
Negative interest rates: What they are, how they work, and whether they're coming to the US
A bank might not actually charge savers a negative rate, but it might levy a 'storage fee' that exceeds any positive interest earned, according to Professor of Economics Dennis Hoffman, who's the director of the Seidman Research Institute.
What unemployment claims tell us about coronavirus job losses
Millions of U.S. workers have filed unemployment applications each week since disruptions became widespread from the coronavirus pandemic. A survey by economics researchers provides more timely and accurate jobless information than the Labor Department's weekly report.
Researchers fill labor market data gap with real-time survey stats
A crisis and a need for clarity compelled Alexander Bick and Adam Blandin to collaborate on an ongoing national survey designed to bolster public knowledge about fast-changing employment trends during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Arizonans desperate for extended benefits as DES attempts to keep up with claims
More than 653,000 Valley workers filed for unemployment assistance since the pandemic shut down the state. The Department of Economic Security is struggling to keep up with the high volume of claims — and the demand for help is expected to keep coming.