The number of unemployed Americans vastly outnumbers the number of open jobs in every single state.
Why it matters: Even though we've come back from the worst unemployment numbers, the pandemic's economic toll keeps turning furloughs into job losses — and pushing millions of people out of the workforce entirely.
We're approaching six months of telework — and, for many Americans, that means six months of Zoom, Google Meet, Facetime, text messages and actual "phone calls" (remember those?).
Why it matters: The incessant video-conferencing is tiring CEOs and college students alike.
Most Americans agree on the need for a safe and effective vaccine to protect us against COVID-19, but President Trump's repeated hints at a pre-election vaccine approval has sparked debate that politics could get ahead of the science.
Axios Re:Cap speaks with Zeke Emanuel, an Obama-era health policy official, about what he's looking for if and when a vaccine is approved.
EA Sports announced Tuesday that it added Colin Kaepernick to Madden NFL 21, marking his first appearance in the popular football video game series since 2016.
Why it matters: Kaepernick has not been signed to an NFL team since 2016, when he began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and systemic racism. EA Sports said it wanted "to see him back in our game," calling him "a starting-caliber quarterback."
School closures from the coronavirus pandemic could cause global GDP to be 1.5% lower for the remainder of the century, resulting in a $15 trillion loss for the U.S. economy, according to a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Why it matters: The OECD projects that missed time in the classroom would result in a loss of the skills needed to boost economic productivity.
An academic study has found that since 2012, when the Chinese government began allowing more foreign films into the country, Hollywood movies have cast more light-skinned actors in starring roles.
Key takeaway: The researchers concluded U.S. film studios were casting to fulfill the aesthetic preferences of Chinese movie-goers, in a culture that places a premium on light skin — a phenomenon known as colorism.
President Trump's deadline for a TikTok deal is one week from today, as certainty continues to drain from the voices of sources close to the process. The big question now is what happens if no deal is struck.
Between the lines: One possibility is that Trump won't follow through on his threat. This could mean dropping the entire thing altogether, or perhaps saying the parties are close to an agreement but just need a bit more time. Maybe an extra 50 days or so, just to get Trump past Nov. 3.
Advantage Solutions, an Irvine, Calif.-based provider of sales and marketing services to consumer goods makers and retailers, agreed to go public via a reverse merger with Conyers Park II Acquisition Corp., a SPAC formed by Centerview Capital.
Why it matters: Private equity is on both sides of this transaction, illustrating how the industry is integrating what could otherwise become a rival.
Mainland China is expected to remain the second-largest global cinema market both in admissions terms and in box office revenue through 2024, per PwC.
The state of play: Prior to the pandemic, PwC estimated that China would overtake the U.S. box office this year. Mainland China already has the most movie screens of any country in the world and continues to grow despite the pandemic.
ABC News will announce on Tuesday three new digital video brands designed for mobile viewing leading up to the election, executives tell Axios.
Why it matters: "[W]e believe mobile is the most dominant device in people’s lives for everyday life, including to consume news," says Terry Hurlbutt, Vice President and Executive Editor, ABC News Digital.
The Biden campaign has brought on the progressive advertising firm Bully Pulpit Interactive (BPI) to run a new mobilization advertising program online that is uniquely focused on educating interested voters with ways to cast ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Why it matters: In a normal election, the campaign would focus its advertising efforts on persuading voters in the weeks leading up to the election. But the Biden campaign faces a different challenge: it needs to mobilize voters that want to vote about how to do so during COVID-19, requiring more advertising expertise and resources.
A group of prominent media veterans are advising a team of millennials who are launching a new company called "Column," which modernizes the placement of public notices.
Why it matters: Public notices have been one of the biggest and most reliable revenue streams for local newspapers for centuries. Amid the pandemic, they are becoming more important to local papers that are seeing regular local advertising dry up.
Why it matters: It's the latest in a series of developments in the past few years that showcase ways artificial intelligence is being experimented with to replace functions of journalism, but not the industry itself.
This weekend, Disney revealed that some scenes from its live action remake of the 1998 animated classic "Mulan" were filmed in Xinjiang, where the Chinese government is engaged in a campaign of cultural and demographic genocide against indigenous minorities.
Why it matters: The riches promised by China's massive domestic film market are buying the silence — and even complicity — of one of America's most powerful entertainment empires.
The Trump administration's trade war with China and the coronavirus pandemic have crippled U.S. exports this year and could worsen as the administration reportedly is considering export restrictions on China’s most advanced manufacturer of semiconductors.
Where it stands: The U.S. trade deficit has risen to its highest since July 2008 and U.S. exports of goods and services as a percentage of GDP shrank to the lowest level since 2003 in the second quarter.
Surveys tracking the sentiment of U.S. manufacturers have surged back to their 2019 levels, showing a V-shaped recovery in the industry — but the hard numbers for sales and shipments tell a different story.
What's happening: Highly tracked purchasing managers' indexes from the Institute for Supply Management and IHS Markit have surged in recent months to show growth in the industry.
Even after the pullback to end last week, U.S. stock prices are booming and fund managers have largely hitched their wagons to the idea that prices will continue rising for the foreseeable future. But many are hedging their bets, showing bullishness in words much more than in deeds.
What's happening: The vast majority of assets — including currencies, bond prices, commodities and equities — have risen notably in price since the start of the third quarter. It’s a "buy anything" market.
Companies around the world are trying to solve the back-to-work puzzle — but few workers trust their bosses to make the right decisions.
By the numbers: Just 14% of employeestrust CEOs or senior managers to lead the return to work, according to an Edelman survey. Only half believe their offices are safe.
The 2020 holiday buying season is expected to be like no other: An avalanche of ecommerce deliveries, merchants running promotions earlier than ever, and tight crowd controls on Black Friday.
Why it matters: Retailers desperately need the revenue from this critical time of year — and they fear that overwhelmed package-delivery services will leave their customers high and dry (and angry).
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