WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 1.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, a historically high pace that shows that many employers are still laying people off in the face of a resurgent coronavirus.
The persistently elevated level of layoffs are occurring as a spike in virus cases has forced six states to reverse their move to reopen businesses.
Those six — Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan and Texas — make up one-third of the U.S. economy.
Fifteen other states have suspended their re-openings.
Collectively, the pullback has stalled a tentative recovery in the job market and is likely triggering additional layoffs.
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