USA Another 3.8 million Americans filed for unemployment last week

Courtenay Brown AXIOS APRIL  30, 2020

Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios


3.8 million people filed for unemployment last week, the Labor Department announced Thursday.

Why it matters: While the pace of unemployment filings has slowed since its peak in late March, the number of workers who have lost their jobs in recent weeks — as efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic slammed the labor market — tops 30 million.





Between the lines: State labor departments have been overwhelmed by the rush of people seeking unemployment benefits.

Economists warn that some jobless workers have been unable to apply for benefits, so the number of unemployed could be higher than the weekly figures suggest.

The bottom line: A staggering number of Americans are still losing jobs at historic rates.

TRUMPS HOOVERS DEPRESSION UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS