41 Million Have Lost Jobs Since Virus Hit, But Layoffs Slow

WASHINGTON (AP) — Roughly 2.1 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, a sign that companies are still slashing jobs in the face of a deep recession even as more businesses reopen and rehire some laid-off employees.

About 41 million people have now applied for aid since the virus outbreak intensified in March, though not all of them are still unemployed.

The Labor Department’s report Thursday includes a count of all the people now receiving unemployment aid: 21 million.

That is a rough measure of the number of unemployed Americans.  

The national jobless rate was 14.7% in April, the highest since the Great Depression.

The government figures underscore the continuing damage to businesses and livelihoods from the outbreak that has now killed at least 100,000 people in the U.S.

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