WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. government will provide its latest picture Thursday of the layoffs that have remained elevated at a weekly pace of around 1 million since the pandemic erupted nearly six months ago even as some sectors of the economy have been rebounding.
The number of people applying for unemployment benefits has stalled near a level that exceeds the number who did so in any week on record before the virus triggered a recession early this year.
While the auto and housing industries have made gains, companies across the spectrum – from small businesses to hotels, restaurants, airlines and entertainment venues – are struggling to survive despite government aid and are still cutting jobs.
The most recent layoffs follow the expiration of a $600 weekly federal check that supplied critical support for the unemployed. The Trump administration is providing a $300-a-week benefit to replace it, though some of the unemployed won’t qualify.
