Economy

Economy

Economy

Follow coverage of the U.S. and global economy, jobs and unemployment; banking; interest rates and other decisions by the Federal Reserve (Fed) and Chair; and economic indicators such as the gross domestic product (GDP), factory orders and durable goods. Other topics include the federal budget deficit and national debt, and local economic columnist Jon Talton.

The return of the barter economy, swapping eggs for toilet paper

Eggs sit in collection baskets at a certified organic family run farm in Illinois. MUST CREDIT: Bloomberg photo by Daniel Acker.

In normal times, the roughly 200 barter exchanges in the U.S. let roofers fix leaks and get paid in restaurant takeouts or accounting services. With tens of millions of Americans under lockdowns, those cash-free trade systems are seeing an influx in participants.

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