This Week In The Economy: More COVID Vaccine Approvals, Spike In Jobless Claims As Congress Struggles To Reach Deal, ECB Unveils More Monetary Support, Hard Brexit On The Horizon?

Welcome to a regular snapshot-review of U.S. and international economic news that aims to 1) provide a window into the challenges and decisions facing businesses today, 2) determine the direction of economic policy — such as the speed at which central banks decide to raise interest rates, and 3) assess what the impact will be for consumers.

More Vaccine Approvals Emergency Use As Infection Rate Continues To Rise

The United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as authorities in other countries, approved COVID-19 vaccines for emergecy use this week — positive news as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States and in many parts of the world continues to soar. Globally, there have been 69,664,639 confirmed cases globally, with 23,155,049 active cases and 1,583,242 fatalities.