The latest economy news from The Texas Tribune.
Texans remain focused on the coronavirus, are less optimistic about returning to normal quickly, and their assessments of government pandemic responses have soured, according to a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll. Full Story
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The Texas Workforce Commission said that incorrect filings and fraud can lead to overpayments, but the money must be paid back even if it was the state's mistake. Full Story
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While Gov. Greg Abbott has been responding to the twin crises on his plate, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s been stirring the pot — at the governor’s expense. Full Story
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For the past two months, the number of people filing claims in Texas has trended downward. But last week, the number of people who filed for claims increased 7% over the previous week. Full Story
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To stop the spread of the new coronavirus in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott closed bars and banned nonessential surgeries in counties that are hot spots. But indoor conventions that will draw thousands of people are still moving forward. Full Story
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While collections from restaurants were depressed, Comptroller Glenn Hegar said that take-out and delivery sales, along with online purchases, helped buoy revenue in the restaurant and retail sectors. Full Story
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In 2018, the festival contributed $264.6 million to the city's economy and created or sustained at least 1,500 jobs across bars and restaurants, hotels and transportation, according to the Austin-American Statesman. Full Story
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As Texas leaders struggle to find a balanced response to the pandemic and the lagging state economy, the suggestions for what they ought to do — friendly and hostile — are pouring in. Full Story
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The bar owners say in the lawsuit that Abbott's order violates their constitutional rights and "may very well leave long-term scarring on the Republican form of government if left unchecked." Full Story
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The Texas Workforce Commission had been planning to reinstate the requirement July 6 but is now holding off due to a rise in coronavirus cases. Full Story
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Abbott has said the actions of his executive order "are essential to our mission to swiftly contain this virus and protect public health." Full Story
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At the beginning of the pandemic, local officials across the state implemented stay-at-home orders for their regions. But now, with cases across Texas' metros surging, those leaders say Abbott has stripped them of the authority to reinstate the same measures. Full Story
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The pandemic has been with us since late winter, but state leaders seem to have forgotten something they already know from other disasters: You can get ready when a storm is coming, or wait until it blows your roof off. Full Story
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Bars had to shut down by noon Friday after a statewide surge in coronavirus infections that officials said was largely driven by activities like congregating in close spaces. There’s no immediate plan for when they’ll be able to reopen. Full Story
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While cities and legal aid agencies are setting up resources for tenants, many judges explained that they won't be able to consider loss of employment in eviction cases. Full Story
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It's a déjà vu moment, with the Texas government making some of the same moves to curb the spread of the coronavirus that it adopted in March — and started to get rid of a month later. The virus is spreading, and the remedies are back. Full Story
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Texas-based companies need more immigrant labor, not less, business leaders argue. But that doesn’t mean American workers aren’t needed, too. Full Story
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The ongoing coronavirus pandemic, limits on cross-border commerce and a downturn in the energy sector have hit the Rio Grande Valley's economy especially hard. Full Story
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In early May, Gov. Greg Abbott pointed to the positivity rate — a ratio of positive COVID-19 tests to all tests — and said anything over 10% was cause for alarm. As of Wednesday, Texas exceeded that mark for the first time since April. Full Story
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The governor also moved for the first time to allow the tightening of two kinds of restrictions that had been eased under his reopening plan. Full Story
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