The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefit has surged to 6.65m, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to upend the country’s economy.
The actual figure is believed to be even higher as many people have reported jammed phone lines and difficulties with filing their claims online.
It’s also worth noting that some kinds of workers, such as people working part-time, do not qualify for unemployment benefit.
The latest figure eclipses the previous week’s record of nearly 3.3m people, according to Department of Labor data.
The rush, which is unprecedented in modern US history, has overwhelmed many state offices handling the claims.
Car firms have halted production and air travel has fallen dramatically. According to economists, a fifth of the US workforce is now on some form of lockdown.
—BBC
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