EmployBridge chief workforce analyst Joanie Courtney on the January jobs report amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits rose last week as the coronavirus pandemic continues to trigger a high number of layoffs.
Figures released Thursday by the Labor Department show that 793,000 Americans filed first-time jobless claims in the week ended Feb. 6, higher than the 757,000 forecast by Refinitiv economists.
The number has remained stubbornly high for months, hovering around four times the pre-crisis level, although it’s well below the peak of almost 7 million that was reached when stay-at-home orders were first issued in March. Almost 70 million Americans, or about 40% of the labor force, have filed for unemployment benefits during the pandemic.
WHAT’S IN BIDEN’S $1.9T STIMULUS PLAN?
Continued claims, or the number of Americans…
