Rise in jobless claims reflects economy's struggles
WASHINGTON — The coronavirus recession struck swiftly and violently. Now, with the U.S. economy still in the grip of the outbreak five months later, the recovery looks fitful and uneven — and painfully slow.
The latest evidence came Thursday, when the government reported that the number of workers applying for unemployment climbed back over 1 million last week after two weeks of declines.
The figures suggest that employers are still slashing jobs even as some businesses reopen and some sectors like housing and manufacturing have rebounded.
“Getting the virus in check dictates when there'll be relief from this economic nightmare, and it doesn't look like it will be soon,” said AnnElizabeth Konkel, an economist at Indeed, a job listings website.
The scourge in the U.S. has killed more than 170,000 people and caused over 5.5 million confirmed infections, with deaths rising by more than 1,000 a day on average. Worldwide, the death toll stands at about 790,000, with over 22 million cases.
The overall number of laid-off American workers collecting unemployment benefits declined last week from 15.5 million to 14.8 million. Many of them probably found jobs. But some may have used up all their benefits, which in most states run out after about six months.
In Europe, meanwhile, fears mounted over rising infections, many of them attributed to vacationers and young people lowering their guard.
Italy added nearly 850 cases to its count, with Sardinia becoming a hot spot because of people partying at nightclubs and other spots without masks. Greece reported 269 new infections, matching a record high set two days earlier. Amid a surge in Spain, emergency coordinator Fernando Simón said younger people should take into account the risk of infecting older relatives.
“Nobody should be fooled. Things are not going well,” he said.