As coronavirus cases surged in many parts of the United States and new restrictions on business were imposed, figures released Thursday by the U.S. Labor Department revealed 1.3 million new claims for state unemployment benefits were filed last week, virtually the same number as the week before.
Although weekly claims have plunged from late March and early April, when they twice topped six million, they have exceeded one million for 17 weeks.
New claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, the government’s emergency program for laid-off freelancers, the self-employed and others not covered by traditional unemployment benefits, fell to 928,000 from slightly over one million a week earlier. That number, unlike the figure for state claims, is not seasonally adjusted.
Experts have been watching closely to see what economic impact the renewed coronavirus outbreak in states like California, Texas and Florida will have on the overall economy.
The latest figures come as a key element of financial support for the unemployed — the $600 weekly supplemental payments from the federal government — is set to expire this month.
