A Historic Unemployment Crisis

To contain the pandemic, the U.S. government has brought the economy to a halt. Today, we explore one result of their containment efforts: one of the worst unemployment crises in American history. Guest: Jim Tankersley, a reporter covering economic and tax policy for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: The national unemployment rate is probably around 13 percent, The Times estimated. “Scary things are going on in our life right now,” one idled Lyft driver said.Whole sectors of the U.S. economy have gone dark to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Here’s what comes next. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.