The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell but remained at a historically high 847,000 last week, a sign that layoffs keep coming as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage, AP reported.
Last week’s claims dropped by 67,000, from 914,000 the week before, the Labour Department said. Before the virus hit the United States hard last March, weekly applications for jobless aid had never topped 700,000.
There is optimism that Covid-19 vaccines will end the health crisis and help stabilise the economy, but that effort is moving forward haltingly and right now, the job market is stressed.
