We’ve selected some columns from 2020 on the recession and the budget.
Economy
Get the latest on jobs, business, growth, and policy shaping the state’s economy with in-depth reporting from The Texas Tribune.
Texas unemployment rate rises to 8.1% in November
The latest unemployment rate will be a crucial data point for the Texas Legislature, which will convene in January.
An eviction moratorium expires at the end of the month, but thousands of Texans are still not able to afford rent
Communities of color are especially struggling to keep their homes. While more than half of white Texans are highly confident in being able to pay rent, only 21% of Black Texans and 14% of Hispanic Texans say the same.
More than 315,000 gig workers and independent contractors in Texas will lose unemployment relief without action from Congress
Although normally ineligible, gig workers and independent contractors qualified for unemployment aid during the pandemic. The assistance is set to expire at the end of December.
GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson readies 2021 lobbying blitz to bring casinos to Texas
Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands has built a stable of high-powered lobbyists for the session, which starts in January, and the company acknowledged Tuesday that it is serious about bringing casinos to Texas.
Texas food banks may be less equipped to help hungry households in the new year
More than 2.5 million households in Texas didn’t always have enough food to eat in November, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. About two-thirds of those households were either Hispanic or Black.
No job, no car and living on $85 a week: Some Texans are facing economic crisis months into the pandemic
Jessica Tyson, an out-of-work hairdresser in Texarkana, says Congress cannot delay passing a second stimulus package. Listen in the weekend edition of The Brief podcast.
Federal loans helped more than 400,000 Texas companies retain workers during the pandemic, new data shows
Despite details released from the Paycheck Protection Program this week, a full snapshot of the program remains unclear.
She lost work to the pandemic. Now she helps thousands of jobless Texans maneuver through the state’s unemployment system.
While struggling to figure out the state’s unemployment system, Alia Kirschner found a Facebook group for thousands of jobless Texans. Now she spends hours a day online, helping others with their benefit claims during the COVID-19 recession.
Texas must boost coronavirus control efforts amid “full resurgence” of infections, White House report says
Among the task force’s recommendations: Officials in Texas should significantly reduce capacity in indoor spaces, including those that are privately owned.





