At least 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week. With this number, the record of 3.28 million applications from earlier in March was immediately broken.
In addition, the total was higher than previously estimated by analysts. Economists in a Reuters survey estimated 3.5 million applications, Bank of America estimated the number at 5.5 million. In the end it became 6.6 million.
The actual number may be even higher, as the Department of Labor website was difficult to access. According to experts, comparisons with the previous crisis period no longer hold.
“The global credit crisis (in 2009, ed.) Involved 650,000 initial applications per week. These are now numbers that are barely comprehensible,” said Michelle Meyer of Bank of America to the news channel. NBC.
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The coronavirus in short
- The coronavirus mainly spreads from person to person via sneezing and cough drops. The chance of becoming infected through surfaces such as door handles is small. This chance decreases if you wash your hands often.
- You can considerably reduce the chance of spreading by keeping at least 1.5 meters away from others.
- The corona measures have resulted in an infected person infecting less than one other person on average. Previously, this so-called reproduction number was between two and three.
- The vast majority of patients have mild (flu-like) complaints.
- Almost all deaths involve the elderly or other vulnerable persons, such as heart, lung or diabetes patients. If everyone complies with the measures, this reduces their risks.
- Read here what precautions you should take.
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