AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) – The wave of layoffs that has engulfed the U.S. economy since the coronavirus struck caused 5.2 million more people to seek unemployment benefits last week.
Roughly 22 million have sought jobless benefits in the past month – easily the worst stretch of U.S. job losses on record.
All told, roughly nearly 12 million people are now receiving unemployment checks, roughly matching the peak reached in January 2010, shortly after the Great Recession officially ended.
Meantime, the economic pain from the virus is weighing heavily as leaders across the world consider how to repair the damage inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic. In the United States, where new unemployment numbers are looming,
President Donald Trump is preparing to announce guidelines to allow some states to reopen.
In China, where the virus started, stores and restaurants are largely open, but customers are scarce.
Despite relief checks sent out this week to millions of Americans, some have begun to protest the virus restrictions that have put at least 17 million out of work, closed factories and brought many small businesses to their knees.
President Trump says some states will be opening up their economies “much sooner than others.”
“We think some of the states can actually open up before the deadline of May 1.” https://t.co/KXv4M8zNFm pic.twitter.com/pcgUFyL73X
— ABC News (@ABC) April 15, 2020
