Where Have the Paycheck Protection Loans Gone So Far?

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a central piece of the CARES Act. In the program’s first round, $349 billion in forgivable government-guaranteed loans were extended to small businesses to cover costs related to payroll and utilities, as well as mortgage and rent payments. The program opened for applications on April 3 and was oversubscribed by April 16. Because of its popularity, lawmakers passed a new bill replenishing the fund with another $310 billion and the Small Business Administration (SBA) started approving loans again on April 27. With a new round of PPP lending underway, it is natural to examine the allocation of credit in the first round and ask: Have PPP loans gone to the areas of the country and sectors of the economy hardest hit by COVID-19?
W(h)ither U.S. Crude Oil Production?
The COVID‑19 Pandemic and the Fed’s Response
How Does Supervision Affect Bank Performance during Downturns?

New research finds that there is a cyclical nature to the benefits of bank supervisory attention: in normal times, the benefits are smaller, but during downturns the more closely supervised banks exhibit better loan performance and lower earnings volatility.
How Does Credit Access Affect Job‑Search Outcomes and Sorting?
Is the Tide Lifting All Boats? A Closer Look at the Earnings Growth Experiences of U.S. Workers
Women Have Been Hit Hard by the Loss of Routine Jobs, Too
Firm‑Level Shocks and GDP Growth: The Case of Boeing’s 737 MAX Production Pause

Events specific to large firms can have significant effects on the macroeconomy. The recent pause in Boeing’s 737 MAX production is a striking example of such an event or “shock.” This post provides a back-of-the envelope calculation of how the “737 MAX shock” could impact U.S. GDP growth in the first quarter of 2020.
Reading the Tea Leaves of the U.S. Business Cycle—Part Two

New work by Richard Crump, Domenico Giannone, and David Lucca finds labor market data to be the most reliable information for dating the U.S. business cycle.