Jobless claims during coronavirus crisis surpass 30 million

Unemployment applications are handed in Hialeah, Florida

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 30 April 2020

The number of Americans who have filed initial unemployment claims amid the coronavirus crisis has now surpassed 30 million.

The Labor Department said on Thursday that more than 3.8 million additional Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, which brings the six-week total to about 30.3 million, The Associated Press reports.

Last week's report from the Labor Department had brought the five-week total of jobless claims to more than 26 million, which meant that all of the job gains since the Great Recession had been wiped out. The 30 million number, NBC News notes, represents roughly 18 percent of the workforce. Thursday's report came in above the 3.5 million filings economists were expecting, CNBC reports, and it comes after the previous week's report showed 4.4 million additional unemployment filings.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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