Hard Numbers: Russia's real death toll, jobless American women, Afghan attacks, Seoul tracing challenge

May 12, 2020

72: The coronavirus death toll in Russia could be up to 72 percent higher than officially reported, according to a Financial Times tally of deaths that exceed the normal rate. The Russian government says 2,009 people have died of COVID-19.

2.7: For the first time during a recession, US female unemployment (at 16.2 percent) is higher than men's – by 2.7 points. While past recessions have landed hardest on male-dominated industries like manufacturing and construction, this one is crippling retail, hotels, and restaurants, which have high female employment rates.

2,000: South Korean contact tracers are now trying to track down as many as 2,000 people who may have visited several Seoul nightclubs that were the site of a recent coronavirus outbreak. So far, 102 infections have been confirmed.

19: At least 19 civilians were killed in separate attacks on a Kabul maternity ward (yes, you read that right) and a funeral in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday. Violence has increased in the country despite a tentative peace deal between the US and Taliban forces.

Power systems under pressure

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Hard Numbers: Russia's real death toll, jobless American women, Afghan attacks, Seoul tracing challenge

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Power systems under pressure

Hard Numbers: Russia's real death toll, jobless American women, Afghan attacks, Seoul tracing challenge

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

Small businesses are more than just corner shops and local services. They’re a driving force of economic growth, making up 90% of all businesses globally. As the global middle class rapidly expands, new opportunities are emerging for entrepreneurs to launch and grow small businesses.

The two-day NATO summit at the Hague wrapped on Wednesday. The top line? At an event noticeably scripted to heap flattery on Donald Trump, alliance members agreed to the US president’s demand they boost military spending to 5% of GDP over the next decade.

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

As the world reacted to Israel and the US bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities last week, one group was largely silent – Iran’s network of allied militias in the Middle East.

Hiring is picking up despite falling inventory growth, and southern cities are leading the way in small business hiring. But can supply hold up? Subscribe to Bank of America Institute and read the full analysis to see what’s driving this shift.