An impending vote on an infrastructure bill, a downgrade and an upgrade to an economic forecast, support for COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and a shift in workers from some industries into recreational marijuana are among the top business news items today.
National
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the chamber will vote on a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill on Thursday. The vote could face a challenge from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which is seeking to pass the measure in tandem with a $3.5 trillion bill on social policy and environmental initiatives.
The National Association for Business Economics has downgraded its economic forecast for 2021, although it expects a better growth in 2022. The economists’ group expects that economic growth in the United States will be 5.6 percent, down from a previous forecast of 6.7 percent; it increased its 2022 forecast from 2.8 percent to 3.5 percent.
Nearly six in 10 Americans support President Joe Biden’s proposed COVID-19 vaccine mandate for businesses with at least 100 employees, according to a Gallup poll. Opposition to vaccine mandates has held fairly steady, but a growing share of workers say they support such actions and that their employer is implementing a mandate.
Business trends
Many of the workers quitting or losing their jobs in the retail and restaurant industries have been finding new professions in recreational cannabis. Approximately 321,000 people work in recreational marijuana, up 32 percent from the previous year.
