Nearly 4.5 Million More Workers File for Unemployment

Another 4.4 million U.S. workers filed for new unemployment benefits during the week ending April 18, bringing the five-week total since March 15 to 26.4 million workers. New unemployment claims are steadily decreasing each week. Layoffs and furloughs were initially damaging to the transportation, restaurant, hospitality and retail sectors, but have since struck a wider range of occupations, including professional services, public-sector workers and the media. The weekly jobless claims report is the most-timely economic indicator for measuring the impact of the virus on the U.S. economy.
Source: New feed 2