Small businesses saw both the challenges and opportunities of economic upheaval the last year. Chase for Business joined the Economic Take podcast to unpack how the economy and labor shortages are impacting small businesses—and how entrepreneurs are adapting.

GDP is back to pre-pandemic levels, the economy is still short millions of jobs and businesses are struggling to fill job openings. The gap between national output and employment could lead to a few different scenarios, and each one looks different for growth and Fed policy in the years ahead.

The value of the U.S. stock market now is twice the size of the U.S. economy. What macroeconomic factors led to the market’s record highs, and what’s on the horizon?

Businesses finally took a long-needed leap toward automation. (It was a global pandemic that provided the shove.)

By focusing on the core and not the more volatile sectors like food and energy, the Fed gets a steadier look at the big economic picture. Still, economists are gravitating toward other gauges of inflation.

Even with the economy rebounding, nonfarm employment is still several million below of its pre-pandemic mark. Schools and restaurants account for a big share, but signs point in the right direction.

The second-quarter GDP report reveals the culprit behind inventory shortages: A rare divergence between final demand and production. Jim explains how the situation will probably ease.

Inflation readings and price pressures all point toward pandemic bottlenecks. That’s why the Fed’s “transitory” explanation is the right idea.

A JPMorgan Chase survey of mid-sized businesses suggests leaders are confident as companies bounce back from the pandemic. They also give insight into how they navigated the last year, and, perhaps more importantly, how they plan to take on the next challenges and opportunities.

We’re moving around again, and that’s giving a lift to industries slowed by the pandemic. Jim explains how the energy and aviation sectors offer a glimpse at what’s ahead.