The delta variant of COVID-19 continues to leave its mark on the economy with another disappointing jobs report. Earlier in the summer, job creation rose dramatically, only to sink again as coronavirus cases spiked. Again. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the economy added just 194,000 jobs in September, and labor force participation dropped slightly—yet another piece of evidence that increased unemployment benefits were not keeping people from looking for work.

As usual, the Economic Policy Institute’s Elise Gould tweeted essential insights into the jobs report, including that “[t]he bounce back in local government education was weaker than expected for schools reopening in September and seasonally adjusted K-12 employment fell by 144,000,” Black unemployment dropped slightly but remains nearly twice as high as white unemployment, and the leisure and hospitality industry had weak growth at 74,000 jobs added.

It’s more evident than ever that ending the pandemic is the key to a stronger economy.

● A Black former Tesla worker was awarded $137 million for racist abuse on the job. How racist does it have to be to lead to a $137 million judgment, you ask? Suuuuper racist:

On that winter night in the factory, when, he said, a supervisor admitted drawing the figure as a joke, Mr. Diaz had had enough. He typed a complaint to a Tesla manager on his phone. “Racist effigy & drawing” was the subject.

He’s not the only one with a case against Tesla.

● Bank of America is raising its minimum wage to $21 an hour. The bank, which has 174,000 workers in the U.S., started raising its minimum pay in 2015 with a move to $15 an hour, and has obviously continued.

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● #Striketober:

● IATSE’s massive strike authorization vote seems to have shaken loose serious enough negotiating from the big money people that a strike hasn’t happened yet. But let’s not forget what those entertainment workers are talking about:

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