Friday, November 22

Almost 800 thousand US citizens applied for unemployment assistance in the last week of 2020

This year some 2.3 million job cuts were announced, almost quadruple the number of 2019. Photo: Spencer Platt / Getty Images

The number of Americans who applied for unemployment assistance was virtually unchanged in the last week of 2020 , as unemployment benefits for laid-off workers passed by Congress increased.

Approximately 787,000 people requested the unemployment check in the week ended January 2, reported the Department of work. That’s only 3, , 000.

Others 161,000 applied for unemployment assistance in the context of the pandemic, special federal program for freelancers , as well as concert and show workers

It is the first time since March that new jobless claims, including those from self-employed workers, fell below a million per week when taken into account seasonal adjustments.

This year has seen a record number of announced job cuts, according to the firm of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. This year about 2.3 million cuts were announced , almost quadruple the number of 2019.

Economists predict that weekly jobless claims will increase now that there is an increase in the check for $ 300 dollars , in some states, as well as the increase in weekly benefits for the unemployed.

Although the economy is expected to recover quickly once vaccines are widely distributed, that point is still a long way off in the immediate future for many.

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