There are several figures that tell the story of the American economy right now.

Some are surprisingly positive — the housing market is booming — while others paint a more dire picture.

Using seven key numbers, we look at the sectors that have been affected most profoundly and consider what the path to recovery might look like.




Guest: Ben Casselman,who covers economics and business for The New York Times, walks us through the pandemic’s impact.




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Background reading:

• Here is Ben’s snapshot of the key data points for understanding the impact of the pandemic on the economy.
• The expiration of two critical programs at the end of this year could leave millions of Americans vulnerable and short-circuit the nation’s precarious recovery.