US Weekly Jobless Claims Jump to 6.6 Million The U.S. Labor Department reported 6.6 million people filed for unemployment insurance in the past week.
A reported 10 million people have filed over the past two weeks.
Prior to economic shutdowns due to the coronavirus, the highest number of claims in a week was 695,000 in 1982.
The complete shutdown of industries from social distancing policies caused joblessness unlike anything the nation has previously seen.
The recently approved $2 trillion stimulus package will allow workers to stay on unemployment longer and expand the scope of those who can receive benefits.
The goal of the stimulus is to help mitigate some of the devastating economic effects from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
