Nearly three million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, growing the eight-week total to almost 36.5 million insurance claims due to the coronavirus.
The Labor Department released the historically high weekly figures Thursday.
Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!
A week of political news in your in-box.
We find the news you need to know, so you don't have to.
Week # | Date | In Real Time | In Thousands | Change From Prior Week | 4 Week Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 03/21/2020 | 3,307,000 | 3,307 | 3,025 | 1,004.25 | |
2 | 03/28/2020 | 6,867,000 | 6,867 | 3,560 | 2,666.75 | |
3 | 04/04/2020 | 6,615,000 | 6,615 | -252 | 4,267.75 | |
4 | 04/11/2020 | 5,237,000 | 5,237 | -1,378 | 5,506.50 | |
5 | 04/18/2020 | 4,442,000 | 4,442 | -795 | 5,790.25 | |
6 | 04/25/2020 | 3,867,000 | 3,867 | -575 | 5,040.25 | |
7 | 05/02/2020 | 3,176,000 | 3,176 | -691 | 4,180.50 | |
8 | 05/09/2020 | 2,981,000 | 2,981 | -195 | 3,616.50 |
Still, unemployment filings have declined since an initial surge in furloughs and layoffs during late March drove weekly claims up to an apex of almost seven million in one week.
“The numbers are very high, but they’re stepping down every week,” said Keith Hall, former chief economist for the Council of Economic Advisers.
Last week, stocks also rallied after the figures diminished again this week as states moved to open their economies.
On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) banned noncompete agreements in a 3-2 vote. The…
A proposed bill in California would prohibit security screening company CLEAR from skipping the general…
On Monday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments over a challenge to a law allowing…
The Arizona House of Representatives failed to advance a repeal of the state's 160-year-old abortion…
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed a bill restoring criminal charges in cases of hard drug possession.…
President Joe Biden's administration announced the first-ever national limits on toxic "forever chemicals" in drinking water. This…