unemployment

Unemployment claims worse than expected as nation hits 14th week with more than 1 million claims

At the beginning of March, the number of new unemployment claims for the week actually fell to 216,000 as economists collectively breathed a sigh of relief that there appeared to be no surge in unemployment related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next week, the nation saw over 6.6 million claims. That was also the start of 13 straight weeks of over 1 …

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A lack of child care is keeping women on unemployment rolls

Women’s participation in the workforce — which is closely tied to access to child care — has dropped at a faster clip than men’s since the early spring. A lack of safe and affordable child care amid the coronavirus pandemic is keeping many working parents from returning to the office as more companies call employees …

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Workers filed 1.5M unemployment claims as infections spike

The continued influx of claims for jobless benefits more than three months into the pandemic is raising doubt among some economists that the U.S. will experience a rapid recovery. New unemployment claims continued to roll in last week at historically elevated levels, as American workers filed 1.5 million initial applications for aid, the Labor Department …

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How Workers Can Win the Class War Being Waged Upon Them

Organized labor led no mass opposition to Trump’s presidency or the December 2017 tax cut or the failed U.S. preparation for and management of COVID-19. Nor do we yet see a labor-led national protest against the worst mass firing since the 1930s Great Depression. All of these events, but especially the unemployment, mark an employers’ …

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Unemployment situation is improving for some groups and not others, and you’ll never guess who

Unemployment is still terrible, but with some signs of improvement. What signs of improvement is an interesting question, and The New York Times’ Upshot jobless tracker suggests the answer is all too predictable, because what’s more predictable in the U.S. economy than inequality? The tracker finds the unemployment situation improving slightly for white people … while layoffs of Black people grow. And …

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Unemployment claims climbed by 1.5 million last week, despite jobs gains in May

The numbers suggest that some Americans are still being pushed out of work nearly three months into the pandemic. Workers filed another 1.5 million claims for jobless benefits last week, the Labor Department reported, suggesting that some Americans are still being pushed out of work nearly three months into the pandemic. Additionally, nearly 706,000 people …

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Another awful week of Americans seeking state and federal job benefits: 2.25 million file new claims

We’ve had plenty more news this week indicating just how bad things are economically now and how long they are likely to remain bad. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who has warned that gross domestic product could drop 30% this quarter, on Wednesday reinforced what other analysts have said about the crunch affecting American workers: ”It’s just going to be very …

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Even after improved jobs report, Latinos remain heavily impacted amid pandemic

While the national unemployment rate has ticked down in the most recent jobs report, the news hasn’t been so fortunate for all workers. “Latinos, who have been the hardest hit by the nation’s coronavirus-related economic crisis, once again led all groups in joblessness this month, with 17.6 percent of Latinos unemployed,” NBC News reported. But times remain tough even for …

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How the U.S. economic response could change as people go back to work

Despite the drop in the unemployment rate in May, many economists feel further aid is needed. As Congress debates whether to allocate further relief to shore up the U.S. economy and get workers back on their feet, the unemployment rate has suddenly and unexpectedly fallen. Here’s a look at how the new numbers are shaping …

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Surprise unemployment drop sparks debate over how fast the economy will rally

The rate reflects parts of the economy reopening in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. An unexpected drop in the unemployment rate set off a fresh round of debate on Friday over how fast the economy can rebound from the coronavirus pandemic and how much the government should intervene to help. The unemployment rate fell …

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Madeline Messa

Madeline Messa is a 3L at Syracuse University College of Law. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism. With her legal research and writing for Workplace Fairness, she strives to equip people with the information they need to be their own best advocate.