by Swarajya Staff - Mar 7, 2021 12:57 PM
46th United States president Joe Biden (Source: Twitter)
Snapshot
The US Senate approves President Joe Biden s sweeping $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package after a marathon debate.
Under the stimulus bill that is estimated to cost nearly one-tenth of US GDP, $300 in weekly unemployment benefits will be provided till Sept 2021 and a new round of mean-tested direct payments of $1,400 will be made to several Americans
The US Senate on Saturday (Mar 6) passed President Joe Biden s sweeping 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package after a marathon debate that commenced on Friday (Mar 5) and concluded on Saturday morning.
The Senate voted 50-49 along partisan political lines to pass the stimulus bill via budget reconciliation rules, which allow a simple majority to approve legislation in place of a filibuster-proof 60-vote threshold.
Higher-wage workers were likely insulated from the economic fallout due to their jobs flexible nature, the researchers said. About 37% of upper-middle-wage workers were able to work remotely through the pandemic. That share climbed to 57% for those earning more than $85,000.
By comparison, only 7% of low-wage workers and 13% of lower-middle-wage Americans were able to telecommute.
Racial disparities also worsened during the pandemic s initial shock. Employment broadly fell 15% from February to April. But where white Americans faced a 15% decline, employment of Black Americans tumbled 16%. Hispanic employment fell 20% over the same period.
Women shouldered a bigger hit than their male counterparts. Female employment dropped 18% from February to April, compared to the 13% decline men saw.