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Another 1.5 Million US Workers Seek Jobless Benefits

Ken Bredemeier

   WASHINGTON - Thousands of U.S. businesses are reopening after the
   shutdowns mandated by the coronavirus pandemic, but many are still
   laying off workers.

   Another 1.5 million laid-off U.S. workers filed for unemployment
   compensation last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The
   figure was down slightly from a week ago and was the lowest weekly
   total in the last three-plus months, but still an unusually big figure
   for the world's largest economy.

   The number of workers seeking jobless benefits has now dropped steadily
   for 13 straight weeks, but key U.S. economic officials are predicting
   that the country's full recovery from the pandemic will take a lengthy
   period, extending well into 2021.

   In all, 45.5 million workers have filed for unemployment compensation
   since mid-March, more than a quarter of the U.S. labor force of 164.6
   million. The number currently receiving benefits has dropped to about
   20.5 million as millions of workers have now returned to their jobs.

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