Business and Economic News

Can't find a chess set? You can thank 'The Queen's Gambit' for that
Who'd have guessed that a centuries-old game would become 2020's hard-to-find, must-have toy? Sales spiked after the release of the hit Netflix show, and now toy analysts are warning of a shortage.
Holiday favorite British Arrows dodge the pandemic on both side of the Atlantic
The British Arrows — the Walker Art Center annual holiday extravaganza — hit not one but two COVID-19-related speed bumps this year: Not only can’t audiences visit the Walker for hundreds of screenings of the best of British television commercials, but the awards competition it is based on in London was postponed because of the pandemic. But organizers still found a way forward.
Use it or lose it: Parents set wages aside for child care. Now it's at risk
For many families, 2020 ended up being a year with fewer child care expenses. Now parents with unspent funds in their dependent-care flexible spending accounts are trying to figure out what to do.
‘I’m kind of screwed’: Restaurant workers brace themselves for more job loss
With COVID-19 spiking and Gov. Tim Walz ordering more restrictions on bars and restaurants, many staffers feel like they’re about to be out of a job again. But this time, they can’t rely on a $600 a week boost that helped keep them financially afloat in the spring.
 Lawmakers look for ways to help businesses, workers
With another round of COVID-19 restrictions taking effect late Friday, Minnesota lawmakers are looking for ways to help small businesses that might be forced to close and the employees who would be put out of work. Discussions are already underway about what the state can do and when it could happen.
Minnesota's unemployment rate drops to 4.6 percent in October
Minnesota’s unemployment rate saw a significant drop from September to October. While there were thousands of jobs added to payrolls, the state still saw a decline in the percentage of people counted as part of the labor force last month.
Restaurants, gyms on the verge of COVID-19 closure worry about employees
“It sounds really bad, but it’s like mom and dad getting divorced and you’re that kid just sitting there saying what’s going to happen to us. That’s what we feel like,” said one Minneapolis chef.