Because of the sweeping layoffs and closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic -- the effects of which were felt as early as March -- the economy is bruised and battered. The question on everyone's mind is, of course, how these turbulent economic conditions may affect them. Here are three things that are likely to remain higher than usual for the foreseeable future: 1. Unemployment. Looking to get a better job? With over 40 million Americans filing for unemployment during the pandemic and the real jobless rate purported to be at a staggering 24%, you might be better waiting out the economic storm. While the number of weekly jobless claims has dropped eight straight weeks since topping out at 6.9 million in April, it still marks 10 consecutive weeks with claims exceeding 2 million. To put this in perspective, before the coronovirus prompted the shutdown of  businesses across the U.S., weekly U.S. unemployment claims had averaged 218,000. Needless to say, those applying ...

At the time of this writing, confirmed global cases of coronavirus surpassed one million. The world is grappling with an unprecedented pandemic -- the likes of which most of us have never witnessed before in our lifetimes. COVID-19 has claimed close to 53,000 lives throughout the world, and that number is  expected to surge in the next week or two. Nearly 6,000 people have died in the United States alone -- well over 2,000 more casualties than China. Italy still leads with a staggering 14,000 deaths, followed by more than 10,000 reported in Spain. The coronavirus has sent markets reeling and caused businesses big and small -- from bars and restaurants to theaters and hotels -- to shut their doors and lay off or furlough workers. Indeed, the outbreak is taking a heavy mental and financial toll on everyone from medical staff on the front lines to entrepreneurs to stay-at-home moms. A whopping 10 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in March. Some experts ...

Every now and then, I search jobs in my industry on sites like Indeed.com, just to get a sense of how many jobs are being created. If my research is any indication, the job market remains sluggish. But you wouldn't know this from the stats reported by major news outlets. Earlier today, CNNMoney reported that America boasted 5.6 million jobs in December, slightly lower than the all-time record of 5.7 jobs set in July. The report adds that the number of job openings now is almost three times the 2.1 million available during July 2009. During the recession, employers could pick and choose employees, as there were few job openings and plenty of available workers. Per outlets like CNN, the tables have mostly turned now: there are ample jobs but a dwindling number of workers. Unemployment dropped to 4.9% in January, the lowest rate in 8 years. Still, I'm just not seeing a glut of jobs available, at least not locally. Perhaps the winds of change have not yet reached every part o...

Great news for job seekers and those looking to leave their companies for new opportunities: Per government data released Thursday, unemployment has dropped to 5.3%, surpassing many economists' expectations. We haven't seen the rate this low since April 2008. Hiring has picked up all across the board. From financial services to healthcare, employers continue to add jobs to their ever-increasing payrolls. The great news was tempered by the fact that wage growth remains stubbornly stagnant. Still, more jobs mean more opportunities for people to go back to work, which translates into more money in their pockets. This, in turn, will spur spending and stimulate the economy. After all, consumer spending accounts for 70% of the U.S. economy. How do you feel about the news? Do you feel the economy is improving? For previous entries, please click here:  How to Understand People