According to the Dept of Labor [pdf HERE] another 5.245 million more Americans filed first-time claims for unemployment insurance last week (April 11), bringing the total to just over 22 million since the Wuhan Virus layoffs began. The good news is initial claims were down 1.37 million from the prior week.
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending April 4 were in Georgia (+256,312), Michigan (+84,219), Arizona (+43,488), Texas (+38,982), and Virginia (+34,872), while the largest decreases were in California (-139,511), Pennsylvania (-127,037), Florida (-58,599), Ohio (-48,097), and Massachusetts (-41,776).
Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement:
“Today’s report reflects the continuing impact of the important public health measures being taken to defeat the coronavirus. Americans are making sacrifices for the wellbeing of the country, and the Trump Administration is moving quickly to support workers and small businesses during this difficult time.”
“The Department of Labor has issued all the essential guidance the States need to implement the historic unemployment benefits expansion under the CARES Act, and 29 States are now paying the $600 weekly boost in unemployment benefits under the Act. The remaining States will begin providing the benefit as they update their systems.”


