Scott Horsley
Scott Horsley is NPR's Chief Economics Correspondent. He reports on ups and downs in the national economy as well as fault lines between booming and busting communities.
Horsley spent a decade on the White House beat, covering both the Trump and Obama administrations. Before that, he was a San Diego-based business reporter for NPR, covering fast food, gasoline prices, and the California electricity crunch of 2000. He also reported from the Pentagon during the early phases of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Before joining NPR in 2001, Horsley worked for NPR Member stations in San Diego and Tampa, as well as commercial radio stations in Boston and Concord, New Hampshire. Horsley began his professional career as a production assistant for NPR's Morning Edition.
Horsley earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and an MBA from San Diego State University. He lives in Washington, D.C.
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As the U.S. economy continues to rebound from the pandemic recession, lots of people are going back to work — but not as quickly as many employers would like. Employers added 943,00 jobs in June. -
Another 881,000 people applied for state unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department says. That's down from the previous week, but the report comes with an asterisk.
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The Trump administration is planning to suspend the collection of payroll taxes starting Tuesday. But unless Congress forgives the taxes, workers will end up with smaller paychecks early next year.
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Consumer spending rose 1.9% last month — but the rebound slowed from May and June. Unemployment benefits continued to prop up spending in July, but that may change in August.
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The Federal Reserve is adjusting its long-range policy on inflation and employment. The central bank said it's now more concerned with prices that are too low than with runaway inflation.
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President Trump gets higher marks for handling the economy than just about anything else, despite presiding over the worst recession since the Great Depression.
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A new trade deal with Europe lifts tariffs that had put U.S. producers at a competitive disadvantage. Lobster shipments worldwide have suffered this year, largely as a result of the coronavirus.
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The expiration of emergency jobless benefits is draining $15 billion a week from the U.S. economy. President Trump has offered to replace half that money, but states have been slow to accept.
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With lights out in many offices and millions of people plugging in at home, residential power bills are soaring, even as overall electricity consumption slumps during the recession.
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Initial unemployment claims had been above 1 million for 20 straight weeks. The total receiving unemployment also dipped, to 28.3 million, as of July 25.
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President Trump has directed the Treasury Department to stop collecting payroll taxes this fall in an effort to boost workers' paychecks. But the move is temporary, and could spark headaches in 2021.
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U.S. employers added 1.8 million jobs in July, down from 4.8 million the month before. The unemployment rate inched down to 10.2%.
