New filings for unemployment benefits rose last week, signaling continued layoffs even before autumn chills outdoor business.
Six months into the pandemic-induced economic crisis, the layoffs keep coming.
About 825,000 people filed for state unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. That figure, which does not reflect seasonal adjustments, is far below the more than six million a week who were filing as layoffs peaked in the spring, but higher than in the worst weeks of many past recessions. Millions are relying on unemployment benefits to meet their basic expenses.
Worse, progress is slowing: Applications for state jobless benefits rose last week, and have been falling only slowly since midsummer. Continue reading.