For the past several weeks, the comptroller has been referring to the state of the economy as a recession. The latest sales tax figures give the first glimpse of how much the economic downturn will hurt the state budget.
COVID-19 Recession in Texas
The coronavirus pandemic has steered the Texas economy into a recession as the state’s unemployment rate remains high and many businesses struggle to survive. Several sources of government and nonprofit aid have either expired or dried up. Economists say the ongoing public health crisis will slow the recovery for individual Texans, business owners and entire industries. For the latest news on this topic, sign up for our weekly economy newsletter and follow energy and economy reporter Mitchell Ferman on Twitter.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas halted evictions, giving renters some relief. But what happens when the moratorium ends?
Experts and advocates say renters — hit particularly hard by the economic downturn — face a financial cliff if more monetary aid doesn’t arrive before moratoriums lift.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas’ front-line workers in the pandemic are predominantly women and people of color, analysis finds
Sixty-two percent of front-line workers in the 11 Texas cities with the the largest populations of front-line workers are women, compared with 48% of all workers there, the analysis shows.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Balancing “caution and pent-up demand”: Texans face health risks and financial woes as state’s battered economy slowly reopens
Gov. Greg Abbott has received mixed reviews for reopening businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. While some Texans aren’t eager to venture out, others feel a responsibility to support local enterprises.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas relaxes guidelines to allow unemployment benefits for workers who don’t or can’t return to work during pandemic
The expanded qualifications now include people who don’t have access to child care because schools and day cares are closed to everyone but the children of essential workers.
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COVID-19 Recession in Texas
As unemployment roils the state, some Texans have given up on trying to get help
254,199 Texans filed for unemployment last week — bringing the total number of claims to over 1.5 million in six weeks.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Federal government sued for denying stimulus checks to Americans married to undocumented immigrants
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, is alleging that a provision in the $2.2 trillion stimulus package known as the CARES Act that denies the benefit to mixed-status families in unconstitutional.
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COVID-19 Recession in Texas
With little certainty and a lot of hope, Texas restaurants and retailers navigate new rules as they prepare to reopen
After weeks of limited business operations, the first wave of the Texas economy will reopen on Friday. The service and entertainment industries are preparing for new rules even as they face an uncertain future.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Meatpacking workers in Texas Panhandle have little power to avoid the coronavirus
A workforce of immigrants has long powered the massive JBS meatpacking plant in Cactus, where a cluster of coronavirus cases is under investigation. They’re risking their lives each shift in the county with the state’s highest known infection rate.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas voters overwhelmingly approve of business closures, stay-at-home orders despite blow to state’s economy, says UT/TT poll
The poll results come as Gov. Greg Abbott prepares to announce his plans for reopening a wide range of Texas businesses.