Ten million Americans are now jobless amid coronavirus pandemic after record 6.6million new unemployment claims are filed in one week – after 3.3million last week

  • The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits last week have shot to 6.6 million 
  • Initial claims for unemployment benefits rose to 6.65 million in the latest week, according to new figures released by the Department of Labor on Thursday 
  • The new figures account for claims made in the week ending March 28 
  • The figure for last week is much higher than the previous record of 3.3 million reported for the previous week ending March 21
  • It means that 10 million Americans have filed for unemployment in two weeks 

By Emily Crane For Dailymail.com

Published: 13:36 BST, 2 April 2020 | Updated: 14:30 BST, 2 April 2020

The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits last week has shot to a record 6.6 million – as layoffs increased amid the coronavirus pandemic and more states enforced stay-at-home orders.  

Initial claims for unemployment benefits rose to 6.65 million in the latest week from the 3.3 million the previous week, according to new figures released by the Department of Labor on Thursday. 

It means that 10 million Americans have filed for unemployment in just two weeks.  

The new figures account for claims made in the week ending March 28. 

The 6.6 million figure is much higher than the previous record of 3.3 million reported for the week ending March 21. 

More than 3.3 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, according to new figures released by the Department of Labor on Thursday. About 50 people lined up (above) outside an Arkansas unemployment office on Monday

More than 3.3 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, according to new figures released by the Department of Labor on Thursday. About 50 people lined up (above) outside an Arkansas unemployment office on Monday

The new figures account for the week in which states like New York shuttered non-essential businesses. 

More than 80 percent of Americans are now under some form of lockdown, up from less than 50 percent just a few weeks ago, leaving state employment offices overwhelmed by an avalanche of applications.   

There is anecdotal evidence that people who have tried to file claims online have not been able to with some forced to wait five hours to log onto the website and others calling hundreds of times just to get through. 

The government’s weekly report, the most timely data on the economy’s health, offered the clearest evidence yet that the longest employment boom in US history likely ended in March. 

Before the virus hit, unemployment in the US was at its lowest in 60 years and the economy was stronger than it had ever been. 

The surging layoffs have led many economists to envision as many as 20 million lost jobs by the end of April. 

Many employers are continuing to slash their payrolls to try to stay afloat during the pandemic because their revenue has collapsed, especially at restaurants, hotels, gyms, movie theaters and other venues that depend on face-to-face interaction. 

Stay-at-home orders, imposed by most US states, have intensified pressure on businesses, most of which face rent, loans and other bills that must be paid. 

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