A worker, right, hands out paper unemployment applications after a batch of applications in English were brought in, Tuesday, April 7, 2020, at Babcock Park in Hialeah, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
More than 6.6 million people applied for unemployment benefits last week, according to new data from the Department of Labor.
That brings the total number of layoffs since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. economy to 17 million, or 10 percent of the total workforce, in just three weeks.
This is only the latest in a series of historic surges for the unemployment rolls. Two weeks ago, a record-breaking 6.9 million people filed jobless claims. The week before that saw 3.3 million claims, surpassing the former one-week record of 695,000 set in 1982.
One reason for the continued rise in filings is that more people can now apply. The $2.2 trillion stimulus package that Congress passed at the end of last month expanded unemployment insurance to freelancers, independent contractors, and the self-employed.
How this impacts the economy in the long-run is a topic of fierce debate. Economists are projecting unemployment rates of 10 percent to an astonishing 30 percent by this summer.
The unemployment rate for March rose to 4.4 percent, but that doesn't account for the bulk of the economic damage that followed nationwide stay-at-home orders and shutdowns later in the month.
The Federal Reserve followed up the job numbers with the announcement that it would put $2.3 trillion into the economy through new loan programs for small businesses, states, and municipalities.
The Good Charcoal Company offers eco-friendly, chemical-free charcoal sourced from Namibian acacia wood, promoting sustainable grilling practices nationwide.
After a few months of positive data, the Fed chair says he’s in no rush to cut rates – and this analyst says inflation could stick around for the near future.
As the DOJ potentially prepares to file criminal charges against Boeing, an industry expert breaks down what went wrong – and how it could make things right.
The Fed chair seems pleased with how far inflation has fallen, but according to this analyst, we could be waiting until 2025 to hit that crucial 2% goal.
While the Fed has made it clear that it won’t consider cutting rates until at least September, one analyst is expecting a whopping seven cuts in a row.
The NASDAQ’s Executive Vice President of Corporate Platforms breaks down why you’ll probably see a lot of companies going public in September and December.
