US Weekly Jobless Claims <br />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 <br />have filed over the past two weeks. Prior to economic shutdowns <br />due to the coronavirus, the highest number <br />of claims in a week was 695,000 in 1982. The complete shutdown of industries from <br />social distancing policies caused joblessness unlike <br />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 <br />some of the devastating economic effects from <br />the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
